Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball head coach Ben McCollum talked to the media on Friday ahead of facing the Illinois Fighting Illini in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, and McCollum said the Illinois player that doesn’t get enough attention is guard Kylan Boswell, even calling him the team’s “alpha” and “unsung hero.”
“Probably the most unsung hero in their entire program is Boswell,” McCollum said. “I mean, he is the edge that they need. He’s the alpha. I mean, he’s good. He’s physical. He gets downhill. He defends. He’s got great energy. I think he’s the leader of that defense.”
This season, Boswell was named to the five-man Big Ten Conference All-Defensive Team, along with Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg and three Michigan players. Boswell, who is in his second season at Illinois, is averaging 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
“They’ve got great length defensively,” McCollum said Friday of Illinois. “They’re more keep you in front. They don’t foul a lot than some of the other teams that we’ve played, but they obviously do a great job defensively as well.”
The Illinois and Iowa men’s basketball teams are scheduled to play at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, for a berth in the 2026 NCAA Final Four.
No. 3 seed Illinois comes into the contest 27-8 overall. On Thursday, Illinois beat No. 2 seed Houston 65-55 in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Facing Houston, Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic led the team with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists.
No. 9 seed Iowa enters the matchup 24-12 overall. Most recently, Iowa defeated No. 4-seeded Nebraska 77-71 in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Thursday. Against Nebraska, Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz led the team with 20 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
