By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 20, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - At Tuesday’s media session, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said that star senior guard Kylan Boswell will miss significant time with a fractured right hand. 

Coach Underwood said that he expects a mid-February return. 

Boswell is second on the team with 14.3 points and 3.2 assists and leads the team in minutes played.

This pushes point guard Mihailo Petrovic and freshman guard Brandon Lee into more prominent roles and will force the Illini to lean even more into freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who has taken over ball-handling duties and leads the team in points and assists.

Boswell's absence will be most noticeable on the defensive end, as the 6-foot-2 guard is the Illini's top defender and often draws the opponent's top-scoring guard or wing.

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