Four players to watch ahead of UConn’s Final Four matchup with Illinois
· Yahoo Sports
UConn men’s basketball and Illinois are set for a rematch in Indianapolis on Saturday with a spot in the 2026 national championship on the line. The Huskies and Fighting Illini faced off earlier this season in a Black Friday showdown at Madison Square Garden, where UConn came away with a 74-61 victory.
Solo Ball scored 15 points to lead the Huskies, while Malachi Smith chipped in 14 with nine assists. The Huskies held Illinois to just 6-29 shooting from three but had no answer for Kylan Boswell, who had 25 points. Outside of Boswell, the Illini couldn’t get anything going offensively, averaging just 0.92 points per possession, the only time this offense — now No. 1 in offensive efficiency — averaged under one point per possession all season.
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Things will be different this time around. UConn got the job done with small roles from Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins, who played 15 and 10 minutes respectively due to injuries. Illinois star freshman Keaton Wagler, now one of the best players in the country, was a total non factor, scoring three points in 14 minutes.
So who is worth keeping an eye on in this Final Four rematch? Here’s a look at four players to watch as the Huskies and Illini face off Saturday evening.
Tarris Reed Jr., Center — UConn
Reed has saved his best basketball for when it matters most, finally locking in for entire games after inconsistently flashing immense talent during the last two seasons. He dominated Furman in the First Round with a 31-point, 27 rebound performance and was arguably even better against Duke, where he had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Reed is averaging 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 71 percent from the free throw line. He’s evolved into the most dominant big man left in the tournament and will likely be the Illini’s defensive focal point with the way UConn is shooting from three this tournament.
Reed didn’t do much in his 15 minutes against Illinois, and was still clearly hobbled from an ankle injury he suffered at the tail end of the win over BYU four days earlier. He had two points, five rebounds and four fouls during his time on the court, and will need to stay out of foul trouble on Saturday against the Ivisic twins if UConn is to win.
Alex Karaban, Forward — UConn
No one in the modern era of men’s college basketball has won more NCAA tournament games than Alex Karaban, who is 17-1 in March Madness and has two titles and three Final Fours on his resumé. If the win over Furman was “The Tarris Reed Jr. Game,” then the second round win over UCLA’s was Karaban’s moment, as the senior had 27 points and added five rebounds.
Karaban’s versatility is major key for this UConn offense. He’s too fast for bigger forwards to chase him around all the screens set for him, but can back down smaller defenders and take advantage at the rim. He had just five points in the win over Duke, but hit a massive three that put UConn within one and kept the hopes of a comeback alive.
Even with a rough 1-6 performance from three against the Blue Devils, Karaban is still 12-31 (38.7 percent) from three this tournament and has been the Huskies’ top perimeter threat when they need a bucket. But Karaban is not just a scoring threat, as he can do damage as a rebounder and shot blocker too.
The senior is already a UConn and NCAA tournament legend, but is looking to immortalize himself amongst some of UConn’s all-time greats with an unprecedented third national title in four seasons. He had 12 points, nine boards and five assists in the November win over Illinois, and will likely be leaned on again to help the Huskies keep pace with the high-octane Illinois offense.
Keaton Wagler, Guard — Illinois
Wagler laid an egg against UConn on Black Friday. Plain and simple. The 6-foot-6 guard’s three points were a season low for the standout freshman, and so were his 14 minutes played. Even with UConn’s defense playing as well as it has, Wagler will almost certainly turn in a better stat line on Saturday. As the top option on the best offense in the country, Wagler has been a menace all tournament and torched Iowa for 25 points to help Illinois get to Indy.
Wagler was just 2-7 from three against the Hawkeyes but is usually a deadly 3-point shooter, shooting 40.7 percent on the season. He’s averaging 17.9 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season and has rocketed up NBA draft boards, where he’s essentially a lock to be a top 10 pick after coming to Champaign as a recruit firmly outside the top 100. He figures to be a matchup nightmare for a hobbled Silas Demary Jr. that is still recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the Big East Tournament title game.
Andrej Stojakovic, Guard/Forward — Illinois
Like Wagler, Stojakovic also struggled against the Huskies with just three points in 24 minutes. Despite being the son of NBA sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, Andrej is a non factor from deep, shooting just 24.4 percent on the season. Stojakovic’s bread and butter is creating contact around the rim and getting to the free throw line, where he is an 82.3 percent shooter. He’s scored double figures in each of his last three games, including 13 points against a hard-nosed Houston defense.
Stojakovic may not be a shooter, but he can still score with the best of them. His ability to score in isolation is not unlike Marcus Domask, who excelled at using his size and strength to play “booty ball” against his defender as part of Illinois’ 2024 Elite Eight team. That team was a victim to UConn in Boston as part of the Huskies’ dominant 2024 title run, where UConn ripped off a now infamous 30-0 run. Domask still got his points that game with 17, and it’s possible the Huskies may try to force Illinois and Stojakovic to beat UConn with twos instead of trying to engage in a shootout with the most efficient offense in the nation.