3 Big Questions for Illinois vs. Xavier in NCAA Tournament First Round

The Illini must keep Ryan Conwell's three-point shooting at bay, and dominate the offensive glass to stay alive in the Big Dance

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) works out during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Illinois had an entire week off after earning the 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region. Between injuries, illness and a punishing schedule, the grind had been pretty relentless for the Illini, who finally got a chance to catch a breath, rest, implement tweaks and focus on sharpening rather than preparing for a specific opponent.

But now comes Xavier, which earned the 11 seed and a first-round matchup against Illinois (21-12) with an 86-80 win over Texas on Wednesday. The Illini take on the Musketeers (22-11) in Milwaukee on Friday (8:45 p.m. CT, on CBS).

Another step towards the target.

📅 March 21
🆚 [11] Xavier
⏰ 8:45 p.m. CT
📍 Fiserv Forum
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/TSxKPjqvY2

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 20, 2025

Here are three questions about the matchup whose answers will likely determine who moves on to the second round and who heads home:

Do the Illini have an answer for Ryan Conwell?

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. First, to Illinois’ last outing: Maryland guard Rodney Rice scorched the Illini with seven three-pointers. Then, its game one day prior: Iowa forward Payton Sandfort connected on eight threes.

Now the Illini tangle with Xavier guard Ryan Conwell, who knocks down more threes per game (3.0) than either Rice or Sandfort. Surely defensive ace Kylan Boswell will be assigned to stick Conwell, but whether the Illini’s defensive scheme can do enough to help Boswell minimize the damage is unclear after a second-half collapse of the perimeter defense.

Can Xavier keep Illinois off the offensive glass?

Although the Musketeers haven’t given up double-digit offensive rebounds in their past eight games, they have struggled to control the glass at times – notably when giving up 20 offensive boards to St. John’s in early January.

Considering the Illini have recorded 10 or more offensive rebounds in 27 of 33 games this season, it's clear Xavier will need to not only maintain its recent stretch of solid defensive rebounding but also take it to another level.

The clean up crew came to Ann Arbor.

We secured 43 boards en route to knocking off No. 15 Michigan. pic.twitter.com/wNtLKAOBhY

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 2, 2025

Is Morez Johnson Jr. back in form?

After missing just over three weeks because of a broken wrist, Johnson returned for the Big Ten Tournament and played just 11 minutes against Iowa before logging 28 in the quarterfinal loss to Maryland last Friday. After a full week of recuperation and training, Johnson should be healthy, well-conditioned and ready to carry out any assignments based on scheme adjustments made during his absence.

With Xavier’s starting lineup featuring a relatively small frontcourt in 6-foot-9 Zach Freemantle and 6-foot-8 Dailyn Swain, expect Johnson’s impact to be felt on both ends of the floor – and especially on the glass.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

How to Watch Illinois vs. Xavier in NCAA Tournament First Round

Plotting Illinois Basketball's Path to a National Championship

Big Ten NCAA Tournament First-Round Predictions: Can Illinois Keep Dancing?