When I talk about a great rebounding game from Tomislav Ivisic, I don’t mean rebounding in the truest sense of the word. He is a solid rebounder and I have no issues with his rebounding ability. I mean, I want Ivisic to recover from a poor performance.

Illinois has two extremely talented players on the roster. Kasparas Jakucionis is an obvious choice here. He took Illinois to great heights with his incredible play. His ability to shoot from three-point range is mind-blowing.

The other extremely talented player is Ivisic. At 6-foot-10, I’ve never seen an Illinois basketball player do what he can on the court. He is a presence inside and has great sensitivity with his small hook shot. He can also rebound the ball well.

When you think Ivisic is covered in paint, he can stretch the floor and knock down threes with ease. The game is so easy for him and he is a special talent.

Sometimes, like every great player, you lay an egg. Ivisic had been playing so well this season leading up to the Wisconsin contest. He looked somewhat human against the Badgers.

Ivisic only had nine points, 11 rebounds and one block against Wisconsin. He also hit just 1 of 5 from three-point range. This was only the fourth time Ivisic failed to record a double-double this season.

If Illinois wants to have a chance of winning against Tennessee, we need a good rebounding performance from Ivisic. Ivisic needs to hit the open three-point attempts that he couldn’t make against Wisconsin. He has to compete against two big men with the Tennessee program, so it will be an uphill battle for Ivisic.

A good game from Ivisic will help the Illini tremendously. Give me about 15 points and 11 rebounds and I think that’s the game we need to have.