Kylan Boswell vs. Mark Sears: Key Matchup in Illinois Basketball vs. Alabama

With two elites of their craft facing one another, who has the edge – and who sparks his team to a win?

Nov 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois, at 3-0 – and with two of those wins coming in dominant fashion – has been impressive enough through the first two weeks of the 2024-25 season.

But the Illini have thus far been dining on a steady diet of mid-major opponents, and they have yet to walk among college basketball's giants.

That changes when Illinois travels to Birmingham to face Alabama on Wednesday.

In a matchup featuring two of the best offenses in the country, the Tide offer the Illini their first opportunity to prove themselves as a true top-25-level power. And while infinite variables have the potential to affect the outcome, we've identified one matchup in particular that is likely to play a big role in determining the final result: Alabama’s Mark Sears vs. Illinois’ Kylan Boswell.

Last year, as Alabama’s lead guard, Sears averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field, including 43.6 percent on 5.9 3-point attempts per game. That's elite production, no matter how you slice it.

Behind Sears, the Crimson Tide made it all the way to the Final Four, faltering only against eventual national champion UConn.

A silky-smooth scorer, Sears is as great a threat to fill it up at the rim as he is to connect from beyond the arc. A knockdown 3-point shooter both off the dribble and the catch, Sears can use a variety of stepbacks to create space or simply play off his teammates and take advantage of open catch-and-shoot looks.

Mark Sears hits from 👌#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/BmWOzk7Kfz

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 31, 2024

At 6-foot-1, Sears offsets his lack of size with crafty one-foot or two-foot finishes that throw off the timing of opposing shot blockers and help him frequently go back to his dominant left hand. A pick-and-roll maestro, he is also a superb passer who always seems to make the right read, whether it’s a pocket-pass, lob or corner skip. Sears, unquestionably, is the engine that makes Alabama go.

On the flip side is the player expected to check Sears most often in this matchup, Illini guard Kylan Boswell. Although he's a high-IQ, sharpshooting guard in his own right, Boswell has a chance to make the biggest impact on Wednesday by doing all he can to throw a wet blanket on Sears' offense.

His defensive numbers don't jump off the stat sheet – 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks through three games – although Boswell, an Arizona transfer, did record 50 steals last season to notch the Wildcats' highest single-season total since 2017.

Absolutely insane steal and pass by Kylan Boswell. Jaw dropping. pic.twitter.com/HCHxzJr2J5

— David Blattman (@davidblattman) December 23, 2023

But the eye test shows plenty: Boswell is a long-armed, strong-bodied 6-foot-2 who has the quickness and anticipation skills to close down openings, nudge ball-handlers off their path and consistently contest shots. And his effort level is something that reveals itself over time, as he often picks up at the time line, repeatedly turns and pressures point guards and consistently helps and rotates with conviction.

While Illinois’ offense has received nearly all the praise so far this season – and deservingly so – regularly solid defensive performances can largely be attributed to the catalyst of Boswell’s lockdown perimeter D and infectious energy.

“I definitely feel like I’m kind of the tip of the spear for us on the defensive end," Boswell said.

With the Illini facing a Crimson Tide offense that led the NCAA in scoring last season and its activating force in Sears, the sharpness of that weapon will be fully tested.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Alabama (Game 4)

Illinois Basketball Play of the Week: Ben Humrichous' Putback Slam

Illinois Basketball Will Face Alabama Coming Off Upset Loss to Purdue