Illinois is coming off a win over Indiana on Sunday. In the process, Illinois welcomed back Kylan Boswell, who has missed nearly a month of play. The Illini took a 20-point victory over Indiana. After the contest, Boswell spoke out about returning to the court, per Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.
“Hearing your name in the intros means everything to me. Was an unfortunate situation, but I'm appreciative of getting the opportunity again,” Boswell said after the game.
He did not expect ot be ready for this game. He was aiming for the USC game that is set to take place on Wednesday, but Boswell said he thought his first game would be against USC, but he used the hyperbaric chamber, sauna and extra sleep to help heal faster.
Illinois needed the win over Indiana. After a 12-game win streak, the Ilini had dropped two straight. They fell to Michigan State 85-82 and then lost to Wisconsin 92-90. Adding Boswell to the lineup was major.
Boswell played 33 minutes in the game, while scoring nine points with seven rebounds and two assists. Still, Boswell had a major impact on the defense, as noted by head coach Darin DeVries.
“I think the biggest thing with him is the defensive ability he brings. I thought he did a really good job of making things hard on Lamar a lot of the time. What he brings and adds to the team in his return is another defensive guy who can really be that shutdown guy,” DeVried said after the game.
Illinois is now 21-5 and 12-3 in conference play. They will visit USC on Wednesday before visiting UCLA.
