Illinois Basketball Has a Unique Weapon That Could Help Define Its Season

That kind of praise tells you everything you need to know about how Illinois views Boswell, a combo guard who serves as a second floor general of sorts while manning his usual shooting guard position. With the season on the horizon and the Illini eyeing a deep NCAA Tournament run, Boswell’s presence might be this group's most important ingredient.“It all starts with him,” Underwood said.

A Champaign native, Boswell returned home after transferring from Arizona last offseason, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a reputation as one of the most unique guards in college basketball.

On the defensive side is where Illinois expects to see the biggest dividends from Boswell. He thrives on making life miserable for opposing ball-handlers – getting into their space, using his body to wear them down and taking pride in shutting down top scorers. In a league full of dynamic backcourts, a guard who can harass opponents for 40 minutes is a luxury few teams can match.

At the end of last season, though, Boswell also showed flashes of a difference-maker on the other side of the floor, stepping up as a scorer and playmaker when Illinois needed it most. In March, he looked comfortable creating his own shot, knocking down timely jumpers and attacking the basket with confidence. That surge of scoring potential and Boswell's ability as a secondary distributor gives the Illini another weapon and could carry over into this season.

Illinois has no shortage of talent on its roster, but few teams make deep NCAA Tournament runs without a steady, battle-tested guard. That's Boswell. With gridiron power and hoops agility, he is a unicorn athlete who can anchor Illinois on both ends and give the team a true edge when the lights are brightest in March.