Illinois plays through a demanding stretch with a virus hindering multiple players

By Canadian Press on February 18, 2025.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Illinois wasn’t showing any hard feelings toward its opponent when it declined to participate in a postgame handshake.

As several players deal with a virus, the Fighting Illini just wanted to make sure they didn’t spread germs while congratulating Wisconsin after losing 95-74 to the 11th-ranked Badgers on Tuesday night.

“They don’t need this,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said after the game. “In 38 years (as a head coach and assistant), I’ve never seen anything like what’s gone through our team.”

Illinois (17-10, 9-8) remains in good position to earn a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Illini entered Tuesday as a projected No. 6 seed, according to Bracket Matrix.

“We’re going to survive,” Underwood said. “We’re going to be fine. We’re a really good basketball team. We’ve proved that.”

But the Illini are dealing with all sorts of setbacks on and off the court as they face the most demanding part of their schedule.

Freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. broke his wrist while blocking a shot in a 79-65 loss to No. 14 Michigan State on Saturday, but most of the Illini’s roster issues are due to illness rather than injury.

Tomislav Ivisic, the Illini’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, came off the bench for the first time all season Tuesday as he tried to play while sick. Underwood said Ivisic didn’t travel with the team, instead driving to Wisconsin on his own.

Ivisic finished with seven points and three rebounds in 21 minutes. He already dealt with mononucleosis and an ankle injury earlier this year, severely limiting his practice time.

Underwood said reserve forward Jake Davis wanted to play but got sick after pregame warmups.

“We don’t know who we have from day to day,” Underwood said. “I didn’t know who I was starting today.”

Illinois’ leading scorer Tuesday was Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who was sick earlier this month. After going scoreless and playing a total of 14 minutes in the three games leading up to this one, Gibbs-Lawhorn had 17 points and five assists against Wisconsin.

“Right now we’re going through a stretch that’s difficult,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “But we’re a good basketball team, and we know it.”

The stretch isn’t getting any easier. Illinois takes a break from Big Ten competition and heads to New York to face No. 3 Duke at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

“It’s David playing Goliath in the next one,” Underwood said. “We’re going to show up and we’re going to fight.”

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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press

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