Illinois Flexes Defensive Muscle, Crashes the Glass in Statement Win Over Missouri
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After a dominant 91-48 win over Missouri, it's clear that Illinois isn’t just talking about getting better - they’re putting in the work, and it’s starting to show in a big way.
This wasn’t just a rivalry win. It was a showcase of what happens when a team buys into the daily grind - or, as head coach Brad Underwood calls it, their “daily vitamins.”
That phrase has become a core part of Underwood’s coaching language, referring to the habits that define this program: defensive communication, attention to detail, and relentless work on the glass. Against Missouri, those vitamins looked more like performance enhancers.
“We needed practice,” Underwood said bluntly. “Nine days of getting back to our daily vitamins - our essence of who we are on the defensive end.”
Illinois had used a similar stretch of practice time earlier in the season to prep for Tennessee. But this time, the results were even more emphatic.
The Illini didn’t just beat Missouri - they overwhelmed them. Holding a team under 50 points is a feat in itself.
Outscoring them in second-chance points 29-5? That’s the kind of stat that tells the full story.
And make no mistake - this wasn’t about a hot shooting night. Underwood made that clear.
The offensive explosion stemmed from effort, not luck. Illinois pulled down 15 offensive rebounds, many of which led directly to open threes or trips to the line.
That kind of effort wears teams down.
“The thing that I think helps us more than anything is offensive rebounding,” Underwood said. “That’s all I harp on.”
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who benefited from those second-chance opportunities, echoed the message.
“When everyone crashes the glass, teams get worn out,” Wagler said. “They don’t really want to box out every time.”
That’s the kind of physical, relentless mentality Underwood has been pushing for. Earlier in the year, he criticized his team for “laying on backs” - essentially getting boxed out too easily and not creating leverage. But against Missouri, the Illini showed they’ve been listening.
“We spent nine days on it,” Underwood said. “Not accepting a blockout, making the second and third effort - that leads to fouls being drawn.
That leads to unguarded threes. Those are baskets you don’t have to grind and earn.”
That’s a crucial point. In college hoops, where offensive slumps can derail even the best teams, being able to generate points off effort plays - not just execution - is a game-changer. Illinois is starting to figure that out.
Locking It Down on Defense
While the offensive rebounding turned heads, Illinois’ defense was just as impressive - maybe more so. This was one of the most complete defensive performances of the season, and it came at the perfect time.
After a disappointing loss to Nebraska, the Illini needed to clean up the mistakes that cost them. And they did.
“I thought we were handsy. I thought we were in gaps,” Underwood said. “But our most important piece was our communication defensively.”
That communication - the kind that often goes unnoticed by fans but is critical to elite defense - was sharp. Rotations were crisp.
Help defense was timely. And most importantly, they defended without fouling.
Wagler pointed to a return to the basics.
“In practice, we just got back to our day one principles,” he said. “Being in gaps, talking, helping, rotating on defense, just knowing when you can help and when you have to stay out.”
It’s easy to overlook how difficult it is to defend the paint, stop transition drives, and still stay out of foul trouble. But Illinois did all of it - and did it with energy.
“I think it’s a start of what can become a very, very good and dialed-in defensive team,” Underwood said.
A Glimpse of the Ceiling
For all the talk of fundamentals and effort, this game also served as something more: a glimpse of what Illinois can become when everything clicks.
Junior guard Andrej Stojakovic summed it up well.
“We made a huge step forward in our defensive game,” he said. “If we continue to play with that type of intensity and focus on the game plan, our defense is going to get better.”
And if that defense keeps improving - paired with the kind of offensive rebounding effort they showed against Missouri - Illinois becomes a very tough out for anyone, especially in Big Ten play.
Next up: Southern at State Farm Center on Monday, the final tune-up before conference play resumes at the Palestra against Penn State on Jan. 3.
If the Illini keep stacking these “daily vitamins,” they’re going to be a problem.