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Illinois Basketball Dealt Major Blow Days Before Duke Showdown

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Feb 18, 2025 7:12 AM ET

The Illinois men's basketball team has a tough week with a showdown against No. 11 Wisconsin and then No. 3 Duke, with both games on the road.

Illinois fell to Michigan State, 79-65, on Saturday in Champaign to drop to 17-9.

And, to make things worse, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood dropped a crucial injury update on freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., per Carson Gourdie.

"Morez Johnson is out and will not play for a good bit," Underwood said on Monday. "He broke his wrist in a fall on that elite block shot that he made."

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward, has been a key piece for Illinois and has started eight games this year.

Johnson is averaging 7.2 points with 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game this season.

In the loss to Michigan State on Saturday, Johnson scored 17 points with five rebounds, a pair of blocks and a pair of steals in just 25 minutes.

And, the play where he got injured was a highlight-reel block that had fans pumped in a close game.

Morez Johnson broke his wrist after one of the craziest blocks I’ve seen in a long time.

He’s the epitome of an #EveryDayGuy. Always played his heart out and put everything on the line for this team.

Really hope this wasn’t his last game as an #Illini.pic.twitter.com/QZvec0ykXo
— Noah Cowell (@cowell_noah) February 17, 2025

Somehow, Johnson finished the game after the fall, although Underwood now revealed the broken wrist.

Illinois has a crucial showdown against Wisconsin on Tuesday and then a clash against Duke at Madison Square Garden in the SentinelOne Classic on Saturday. Now Johnson won't be on the floor for either game and likely more, although Underwood gave no clear timetable.

Illinois finishes the regular season with games against Iowa, Michigan and Purdue before the Big Ten Tournament. With a 17-9 record and a 9-7 mark in Big Ten play, the Illini need a strong finish to build momentum going into the conference tournament.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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