I’m trying something a little different today, scheduling a publish for the middle of the morning. I’ve not been getting as many views or shares recently so I’m hoping maybe this will help…but this is just an experiment. I may go back to the 6:30 a.m. schedule soon enough
Great chance to hit the reset button tonight. Since the Ayo/Kofi era, Underwood has rarely lost two games in a row, so look for Illinois to bounce back with a big W tonight.
You’re not here for my analysis on this year’s team, though, so lets jump right in to the good stuff.
Transfer Tracker
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
The most painful departure from last spring’s portal exodus continues to roll. Johnson posted yet another double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds) as No. 2 Michigan steamrolled Ohio State 82-61 in Columbus on Sunday. The sophomore grabbed 10 boards in the first half alone, five on the offensive glass, and was Michigan’s most physical presence on both ends. It was the kind of do-everything performance that’s become Johnson’s calling card.
On the season, Johnson is averaging 13.7 points on a blistering 68.7 percent shooting with 6.9 rebounds for the Wolverines, who are 22-1 and sit at 12-1 in Big Ten play. He’s part of Michigan’s devastating “Big Three” alongside Yaxel Lendeborg (14.3 PPG) and Aday Mara (10.8 PPG), a trio that accounts for 40 percent of the team’s scoring and more than half its rebounds. Michigan has won seven straight and set the program record for most victories through 22 games. Watching Johnson thrive as a linchpin of a national title contender stings for the Illini faithful — but there’s no denying the kid is balling.
Tre White, Kansas
White’s been the Swiss Army knife Bill Self envisioned when he landed the former Illini wing last spring. The senior is putting up career-best numbers across the board…14.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 44.6 percent from three on nearly four attempts per game. That’s a far cry from the 28.9 percent he posted from deep during his lone season in Champaign.
Kansas sits at 17-5 and is firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture. White set a career-high with 15 rebounds in a road win at Colorado on January 21, showcasing the all-around game that makes him so valuable. For a guy who’s now played at USC, Louisville, Illinois, and Kansas, White has found a home that fits. His shooting leap alone has been remarkable.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, UNLV
DGL is averaging 19 points per game and has emerged as one of the Mountain West’s most electric scorers. Gibbs-Lawhorn, who averaged just 5.9 points in a limited role at Illinois, has transformed into UNLV’s go-to option under Josh Pastner, and the results have been spectacular.
DGL dropped a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Boise State, followed that with 28 against Fresno State, and poured in 29 in UNLV’s most recent victory over Grand Canyon. He’s averaging 20.5 points over his last 10 games and has reached double figures in 20 of 22 starts. The Rebels are just 11-12, but DGL’s breakout has been one of the best individual stories in college basketball this season. The 6-foot guard who was buried on the Illinois depth chart is now a legitimate All-Conference performer.
Carey Booth, Colorado State
The big man’s season has hit a bit of a rough patch. After a strong start as Colorado State’s starting center (averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds through his first 18 games with four double-doubles), Booth recently moved to a bench role. He had a standout 19-point, 12-rebound performance against Grand Canyon in early January and scored 13 in a win over UNLV, but the conference play has been a grind and brought inconsistency.
Colorado State is hovering around .500 in conference play, and Booth’s minutes have fluctuated. The junior forward still flashes the upside that made him a four-star recruit — the shooting touch, the rebounding instincts, the ability to step out and hit threes — but finding consistent production at his third school in three years remains a work in progress. At his best, Booth looks like a player who could anchor a frontcourt. The key is stringing those performances together down the stretch.
What (Else) to Watch
1. Purdue (NET: 10) at Nebraska (NET: 11)
Watch Score: 21 | 6:00 PM CT | FS1
✅ Quad 1 opportunites for both Purdue and Nebraska
This is the headliner on the national slate. Two top-12 teams collide in Lincoln in a game with massive Big Ten title implications. Nebraska (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten) bounced back from its first two losses of the season (against Michigan and Illinois) with a dominant 80-68 road win at Rutgers behind Rienk Mast’s 26 points.
Purdue (19-4, 9-3) squeaked past Oregon 68-64 at home on Saturday and needs this as a signature road win to stay in the conference race. Braden Smith just became the first Big Ten player with 1,000 points and 500 assists in conference games only, and he’ll need to be at his best in a hostile Pinnacle Bank Arena.
THIS DAY IN ILLINI HISTORY
2001: Illinois 82, Purdue 61
On this date in 2001, No. 7 Illinois rolled into Mackey Arena and dismantled Purdue in one of the more dominant road performances of the Bill Self era. Brian Cook led the way with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including making all three of his 3’s.
Frankie Williams had five dimes, and the Illini forced Purdue into 20-of-45 shooting while dominating the glass 36-22. That 2000-01 squad, which would eventually earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Arizona in the Elite Eight, was in the middle of a stretch that saw them win nine of 10 games to close the regular season.
1968: Sholz goes for 42
Go back further and you’ll find Dave Scholz erupting for 42 points at Northwestern on February 10, 1968, a performance that still ranks among the top single-game scoring outputs in program history.
53 — Dave Downey at Indiana, 2/16/63
46 — Keaton Wagler vs Purude, 1/24/26; Andy Kaufmann vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 12/3/90
43 — Brandon Paul vs. Ohio State, 1/10/2012
42 — Dave Scholz (not Scholl) vs. Northwestern, 2/24/68
40 — Terrence Shannon Jr. vs. Nebraska, 3/16/2024; Malcolm Hill vs. Northern Kentucky, 11/13/2016; Andy Kaufmann vs. Eastern Illinois, 12/1/90; Andy Phillip vs. Chicago, 3/1/43