Illinois' Mirkovic, Ivisic Power Rebounding Clinic

0:00On March 20th, Illinois freshman David Mercovich stole the show in his NCAA tournament debut on March 20th in Greenville, South Carolina. He dropped 29 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead his team past Penn. The Alini owned the boards in a big way, outrebounding the Quakers, 48-25. They turned 20 offensive rebounds into 29 second chance points, flipping the game in their favor. Teammate Thomas Lava Visik, Ivisik chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds. His aggressive drives to the glass through defenders away, creating openings for Mercovich and others to clean up. Coach Brad Underwood praised Ivisik's non-stop hustle, especially those extra pushes after contact that shifted Penn's big men just enough. That teamwork made the difference on every possession. With this rebounding clinic highlighting their size edge, Illinois looks prime to keep rolling deep into March madness.