Out Cast! How Did Morez Johnson Jr. Look in First Action After Broken Wrist?

After all was said and done, Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. sat out only five games and less than four weeks – a drop in the bucket given that a terrified legion of Illini fans initially feared he might be done for the season.

But, boy, did Illinois ever miss him.

"I was really concerned about him maybe overthinking things," Underwood said. "We talked today and yesterday: run, rebound and defend. Run, rebound and defend. Let's not get too complicated."

"He only has two days in practice with some of the defensive changes we've made," Underwood said. "I thought he was fantastic. He impacted the game. I kind of did what I wanted to do, which was just get his feet wet. Tomorrow may be a different story."