Grade inflation is getting out of control nowadays. Everyone and their cousin has a 4.0 GPA. And that notion has never been more true than on Thursday night in Illinois' win over Penn. But, unfortunately, we're harsh graders. Although the vast majority of the Illini earned an A, only a few earned the ever-elusive A+.
Nov 5, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Pennsylvania forward TJ Power (12) takes a shot as Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) defends during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sure, there wasn't a shortage of A+ candidates, and Tomislav Ivisic did go just 1-for-3 from the field en route to two points (his one bucket was a sweet one, though). But his role wasn't scoring on Thursday night. He facilitated in every way imaginable - from the post, from the mid-post, in transition, you name it - and finished with seven assists.
He defended a 6-foot point guard, and effectively . Ivisic patrolled the lane on defense and rejected three shots while affecting a handful of others. In terms of the controllables - we can't fault him for missing two open three-pointers - Ivisic simply could not have played a better game. (Related note: his plus/minus of plus-37 was by far the highest on the team.)
Nov 5, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois guard Ethan Brown (34) shoots a lay up during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's difficult to overstate how impressive Ethan Brown has been through a pair of games. He is currently averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists. On Thursday night, he was 4-for-5 from the field (3-for-4 from beyond the arc), and finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Underwood says it all the time : the ball doesn't stick with Brown. And it really doesn't. He is such a connective offense player. The ball has energy when he's on the floor. He makes decisions in a split second, and that's what allows the Illini offense to thrive when he's on the floor. And his knockdown jumper doesn't hurt, either.
Nov 2, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Zavier Zens (22) drives the ball against Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Travis Torain (22) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Speaking of quiet performances, freshman Zavier Zens ' 18 points weren't accompanied by a bang. He didn't press and simply took advantage of his opportunities. He was cutting to the rack and finishing on the interior, or cashing out from long range (4-for-8 from deep).
Defensively, Zens was also unbelievably sound. He has excellent strength and he simply doesn't make mistakes. He rotates well. He hustles. He walls up when he contests. Similar to Brown, he's the kind of guy who impacts the game on offense without needing the rock, and then plays his role to a tee on defense.
Take this from Underwood in the Penn postgame: "Zavier Zens makes so few mistakes. You can see why his team won 82 games in high school in his career. He just doesn't make a lot of mistakes."
Illinois may be without Jake Davis for the foreseeable future, but in terms of on-court productivity, Zens may be able to slot into that role fairly seamlessly (although he can't match Davis' leadership or intangibles).
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It has been a weird stretch for Zvonimir Ivisic. He seemed to be towards the back of the rotation during the exhibition games. And, in a pair of regular-season outings, that trend has held. ( According to Underwood , it's more a result of Big Z being banged up recently and particular matchups favoring junior Jason Jakstys.)
But on Thursday night, Ivisic reminded everyone why he's one of the best reserves in the country. Talk about filling the stat sheet: it took Big Z all of 14 minutes to snag nine rebounds. That's a per-40 rate of 25.7 rebounds.
He also tacked on six points and a block. Ivisic took the ball the length of the floor and put his head at the rim for a jam. He caught a lob from his twin brother, Tomislav, and threw it down.
We know Z can stretch the floor. But when he's cutting and staying active around the rim, that's when he's the most dangerous for Illinois on offense. In terms of rebounding and rim protection, he can be the best in the country when he's operating at his ceiling in those two facets.
The Illini just need to keep him motivated and engaged. A fiery Big Z is a dominant Big Z. That's exactly what he was on Thursday. The next step is getting that level of effort and desire on a night-to-night basis.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Illinois Basketball Blows Out Penn: Illini Player Grades After the Win .
