Illinois Fighting Illini News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) shoots a foul shot against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Brad Underwood Answers How He'll Game-Plan for Former Illini Morez Johnson Jr.

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jason Langendorf | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 5:42 PM ET

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The love affair with Morez Johnson Jr. lasted longer than some remember. Johnson's relationship to the Illini dated back to at least 2021, when he committed to the University of Illinois as a high school sophomore at St. Rita's in Chicago. Even as he developed into the state's Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year, and other college programs came sniffing around to try to pry him loose, Johnson stood firm in his commitment to Brad Underwood and Illinois – and Illini Nation went gaga for it.

Johnson was an on-court menace from the moment he hit the floor as a freshman, averaging 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 17.7 minutes of floor time. A broken near the end of the regular season cost him almost a month, but he returned in time to join the Illini's late-season push. His stoic patience and physical toughness on a young team that otherwise lacked a hard edge stood out, cementing him as a fan favorite.

All of which made the offseason breakup more painful. Johnson, rumored to be unhappy with his role and limited involvement in the offense, announced he would hit the transfer portal and then eventually bolted for bluer pastures – those of bitter rival Michigan. Their affections spurned, many Illini fans have already circled on their calendars Feb 27 – a Friday night visit from the Wolverines and Johnson's first appearance in Champaign since all the heartbreak.

What is Underwood's approach to Morez Johnson Jr.?

February is a long way off, and coaches cringe at what they perceive as gotcha questions in September, but it was a perfectly reasonable ask of Underwood at Thursday's Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Day: When the time comes, how will Illinois game-plan for Johnson?

Underwood more or less took the question in stride, deflecting from a situation that was hardly a scandal yet still sits well with no one involved. Ultimately, he revealed very little in a response that could be described as tersely amused.

"You think I'm going to tell you that? These guys have asked ask questions like that for ..." Underwood said to his questioner, grinning wryly. Then he essentially gave a bare-bones scouting report: "Morez is talented. Very good athlete, very good rebounder. You know, it probably starts with blocking him out and not giving and not letting him outrun you. Terrific competitor. Tons of respect for Morez, and a good player – he'll be a handful."

Brad Underwood asked how Illinois plans to defend Morez Johnson: "You think I'm going to tell you that?""Morez is talented. Very good athlete, very good rebounder. Probably starts with blocking him out and not letting him out run you. Terrific competitor, tons of respect for… pic.twitter.com/Y5MrHxYLNT
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) October 9, 2025

OK, so how can Illinois actually game-plan for Johnson?

Johnson could very well have another three (and maybe four) years left in Ann Arbor, so Underwood will eventually have to do better than that in terms of Xs and Os. The reality is, the Illini can go one of two ways here: 1) Hit the 6-foot-9, 255-pound Johnson head-on or 2) fight fire with ice.

The first scenario is less desirable, in part because it doesn't fit with Underwood's style but also because Johnson is just so darned good at it. The closest thing the Illini have to Johnson in terms of body type and style would be 6-foot-8 freshman David Mirkovic – and he isn't a bad option. He just isn't Morez. Underwood might consider playing 7-foot-3 Zvonimir Ivisic heavy minutes alongside his brother, center Tomislav, to try to bother Johnson with length. But the power and rebounding deficit might be too great a tradeoff.

More likely, Underwood throws a combination of players at Johnson – Mirkovic, Big Z, the newly beefcaked 6-foot-9 Ben Humrichous and – who knows? – maybe even 6-foot-7 wing Andrej Stojakovic in a small-ball lineup – in a series of changeups that force Johnson to constantly adjust and pull him out of his comfort zone. Notably, all four of those players have legitimate three-point shots, and that figures to play a major role in neutralizing Johnson. Force him to guard on the perimeter (and vacate the paint, where he is infinitely more valuable) or leave the floor in favor of a better matchup for Dusty May and Michigan.

Underwood and the Illini have almost five months to figure it out, plus plenty more fish to fry in between. But you can't fault Illinois fans for wanting to know Underwood's plan for showing the old flame that they're doing just fine without him.