Jeff BorzelloJan 21, 2026, 06:58 AM
CloseJeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.
Illinois guard Kylan Boswell will miss at least a month after breaking his right hand in practice Monday.
“He’ll be out for a little bit,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Tuesday. “Expecting a mid-February return.”
Illinois (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten) has won seven straight games. The 11th-ranked Illini next face Maryland (8-10, 1-6) on Wednesday.
Boswell, a 6-foot-2 guard who transferred to Illinois from Arizona in 2024, has been an integral part in the team’s success over the last two seasons. He’s started all 18 games this season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the country.
The Champaign, Illinois, native finished last season on a high note, scoring 23 points and dishing out six assists in an NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky, capping an eight-game run in which he averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
With Boswell sidelined, Underwood could opt to turn to Serbia native Mihailo Petrovic as a natural point guard replacement, although Petrovic hasn’t played consistent minutes after entering college with multiple years of professional experience in Europe. The other option would be to continue to use freshman Keaton Wagler as the team’s primary playmaker and go with a bigger lineup featuring junior wing Jake Davis.
After the Maryland game, Illinois has crucial road trips to No. 4 Purdue, undefeated and seventh-ranked Nebraska, and No. 10 Michigan State in a five-game stretch when Boswell is projected to be out.