Mihailo Petrovic Finally Arrives at Illinois: Why His Timing May Be Perfect

Per the official X account of the Illinois basketball program, Petrovic has finally arrived in Champaign, and he appears to be a full go. But are the Illini too far behind the 8-ball already? Can the offense mesh in time for the season opener in early November? Let's take a deep dive into the details of Petrovic’s late arrival. 

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Too little, too late?

Returning senior guard Kylan Boswell has spent the entirety of the summer as Illinois’ go-to option at lead guard, but with Petrovic in town, Boswell is all but guaranteed to slide to the two. Although that may raise notable concerns about how the offense will function in new hands, here’s a couple reasons why Illini fans shouldn’t be worried:

1. Petrovic's European background

Specifically, the new guy's experience – which came in the same league as that participated in by the Ivisic twins (Tomislav and Zvonimir) and David Mirkovic – will allow him to seamlessly take over the Illinois offense. Especially considering the Illini offensive scheme is heavily reliant on the pick-and-roll, something with which Petrovic has boatloads of experience, there’s no reason to believe he won’t immediately fit in. (Although it is worth noting that building chemistry between a guard and a big in the two-man game does take time.)

2. Kylan Boswell's opportunity

Boswell’s reps at the 1 during Petrovic’s absence this summer will help steel him for working as Illinois' lead guard when Petrovic spends time on the bench when the game begin. Boswell showed plenty of good stuff when getting the Illini into their offense and directly setting up teammates last season, so this may be the next step in his sharpening his tools to become a top-notch secondary playmaker when the pair share the floor.

Illini are right on schedule

Aside from the positives associated with Boswell getting a plethora of reps as Illinois’ lead guard, there’s really no positive way of spinning Petrovic’s summer no-show. Missing your lead guard – arguably the biggest asset and key to any offensive system – for four months certainly isn’t a good thing. But the Illini will survive.

That aforementioned pick-and-roll-heavy, free-flowing, pro-style offense allows just about any player – especially one as skilled as Petrovic – to shorten the curve, walk through the door and immediately contribute. Sure, the first couple in-season outings may be working-out-the-kinks kind of games, but that’s the case for every college basketball squad. A longer delay might have stunted Illinois' growth, but under the circumstances, this team should be right on track come Big Ten play.