Illinois (15-5, 5-4) bounced back after a tough loss to No. 16 Michigan State (17-3, 7-2) on Jan. 19 and is now on a two-game win streak. Following the Illini’s electric win over the Boilermakers (7-13, 0-9) on Monday, they now set their sights on the Scarlet Knights (9-12, 1-9).
Similarly to Purdue, Rutgers has had difficulty finding its footing in the Big Ten this year. The Scarlet Knights only secured their first conference win on Sunday against the Nittany Lions (10-11, 1-9).
The past week for the Illini has highlighted some outstanding player performances and team momentum. Their improvements have been critical in these matchups, and they will need to continue them during their upcoming road games.
*Kendall Bostic (A+): Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic has been so dominant at the boards this season that she now holds the school’s record for most career rebounds. She may be more undersized than others in her position, but her intensity and skill for rebounding tops even the best of them. Not only has Bostic shown her rebounding prowess lately, but also her ability to score. She is only six double-doubles behind the current record holder.
“When I first got here, I was not super confident offensively,” Bostic said. “I just didn’t have my rhythm yet in college basketball. I was a starter at that point, but rebounding was a way that I could maintain that without having to score a lot and still be able to work on it.”
In three of her last four games, Bostic put up 20 or more points. Her free throw performances have also been perfect across those four games, which have helped her team defend leads or push ahead when coming from behind.
*Genesis Bryant (A): Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant has been on fire with her shooting lately. Against Northwestern (7-12, 0-8), she had her first double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and dishing out 13 assists. She has been perfect from the free-throw line in her past seven games, except for shooting only 75% from the stripe against Indiana (13-7, 5-4).
Her intensity applies to both ends of the court, though. Despite regularly being one of the shortest players during a game, she sticks to her defenders and forces them to get the ball off quickly. Her coverage of her assigned player is hard to beat, and she takes this role seriously.
Bryant has been trying her hand at more three-pointers during games. Against Purdue, she couldn’t miss and went 3-3 from distance. Three-pointers have cost the Illini crucial points this season, so having players find their rhythm is essential when looking ahead to teams with higher three-point conversion rates.
*Adalia McKenzie (B): Another efficient scorer and all-around player for Illinois is senior guard Adalia McKenzie. Against Indiana, Michigan State and Northwestern, the senior scored 15 points in all three games. She has also been trying her hand at shooting more from beyond the arc.
“Being a three-level scorer is something that I want to be,” McKenzie said. “I’m having more confidence in practice and just reading the game, and I let it fly.”
This confidence and extra focus have started to pay off for the senior. She has always been a consistent shooter from close range, hitting jumpers and layups easily and converting over 50% of them before Purdue. It is a noticeable improvement from the end of December to early January, where her clip was closer to the high 30% and low 40% range.
Berry Wallace (B+): Wallace’s showings of late have demonstrated why she was such a highly sought-after recruit. She is the team’s three-point machine. Wallace had a perfect night from beyond the arc during the Indiana game, where she sunk all three attempts.
However, Wallace’s true potential on the team comes from her adaptability. The freshman is still getting her legs under her, but with experience, her mistakes will lessen significantly. She has attempted twice as many threes as she did in her first month post-injury.
Becoming more comfortable past the arc has combined with her natural talent for shooting, allowing her to score in the double digits for three of her four most recent games. Her offensive hesitancy has occasionally pulled her away from racking up even more points, but those moments are lessening with every game the freshman plays.
*Jasmine Brown-Hagger (B): Newly appointed starter sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger has proven her ability to step up for her team in fifth-year guard Makira Cook’s absence. Brown-Hagger scored in the double-digits in two recent games.
Most notable from the sophomore is her energy and intensity. She is quick and aggressive on both ends, never giving up on a play until the other team has the ball. She tracks back efficiently and doesn’t let her mark get too far away.
Cori Allen (B-): Another bench player who has seen an increase in minutes is sophomore guard Cori Allen. Allen has been hit-or-miss all season, but this past week was a hit.
She played almost 30 minutes in the Northwestern game and secured six points, her season best. She had another season-best for rebounds, collecting an impressive 11 boards from the Wildcats. She showed some of that rebounding intensity against the Boilermakers, grabbing five, and even banked four points that game.
Hayven Smith (D): With sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos out for the season, freshman center Hayven Smith is not only the tallest Illini but also the team’s only true center. Despite Green wanting to rest Bostic more often, Purdue was Smith’s first time stepping off the bench since Washington on Dec. 31.
Despite getting 15 minutes of court time, her sole contribution was grabbing three rebounds. While this secured her team some late-game possessions to prevent a Boilermaker comeback, she was unable to score any points and struggled to contain opposing players.
*Brynn Shoup-Hill (C+): Senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill’s impact is highest at the beginning of the game and gradually lessens by the end. Additionally, many of her best skills will not show in a box score. This is despite her helping the team immensely by shutting down key players, aiding Bostic in locking down the paint, moving the ball on offense and setting up in the paint to turn and shoot.
Shoup-Hill is reliable in her roles. However, other players like Wallace can step in for her and do her roles the same or better. But when she has a good night, she can knock down multiple shots. She leads her team with blocks, stuffing the Wildcats twice. She also attempts three-pointers but rarely converts them.
Mia Zenere (D): Freshman guard Mia Zenere played against Northwestern and Purdue but failed to make anything in either game. She also grabbed two rebounds in the Purdue game and didn’t grab any against the Wildcats.
With more experience, Zenere will likely become more comfortable on the court, seeing as she already showed improvement after just one game.
Irene Noya Catoira (C-): Freshman forward Irene Noya Catoira also got a few minutes against the Wildcats and the Boilermakers, but she had a slightly better outing than Zenere. When Catoira got fouled and went to the stripe, she sank both free throws and blocked a shot against Purdue.
However, she made no impact anywhere else on the floor against either team. She grabbed no rebounds and failed to convert her one field goal attempt against Purdue.
Scarlet Knights to watch on Thursday
The top two scoring Scarlet Knights, freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller and senior guard/forward Destiny Adams, average over 17 points per game. This is more than Illinois’ leading scoring, Bostic. In their most recent game against the Nittany Lions, both players led their team and scored 15 points each.
McMiller had a particularly impressive game. She knocked down two triples, shot 3-3 from the charity stripe, grabbed three boards and led her team in assists.
McMiller and Wallace seem to be cut from the same cloth. They’re both freshmen who can shoot efficiently from close and from far, making this a highlight matchup when the two are on the court.
In addition to her scoring, Adams also contributed four rebounds and four steals. One of the senior’s strengths is her skill at picking pockets. She leads the conference with 51 steals and has only been denied a steal in five games all season. She will force the Illini to pull out their best ball-handling if they don’t want any possessions ripped away.
What the Illini need to take into this game
Unlike Purdue, head coach Shauna Green has led Illinois to only victories against Rutgers. While the all-time series is 5-9, the Illini have cut into this lead by winning the past four meetings.
Against these teams with a winning record over the Illini, they must carry over the momentum they had against the Boilermakers. Illinois ran up the score early and played to defend the lead.
One change that the Illini should make going into this game is that Wallace must start her scoring momentum earlier. Coming off the bench and matching her team’s pace can be challenging, but at an elite level, it is necessary to adapt to the game quickly. Her 16 points against the Boilermakers were great, but she could have scored more if she got off to a quicker start.
Where to watch
The first of two away games for Illinois will take place on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Jersey Mike’s Arena in New Jersey. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
bdirl2@dailyillini.com
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