Illinois (2-0) has eased into the 2024-25 season with two local matchups. The team has comfortably won by 45 and 32 points, respectively, and has gotten their largely brand-new roster some quality experience together. Through two games, multiple players will stand out as go-to guys moving forward.

Kasparas Jakucionis (A): Yeah, this guy is good. It’s only been two games, but the impact of the freshman from Lithuania has not gone unnoticed. Guard Kasparas Jakucionis was just two rebounds away from a triple-double last night in his second college game.

“It’s really fun to play with KJ,” said graduate student forward Ben Humrichous. “He has a really, really great knack for finding shooters when they’re open. If you watch him, he does a really great job manipulating the defense with his eyes.”

He definitely found shooters on Friday night when he set the Illinois freshman assist record with 13. He did have a couple of fumbles, which led to three of Illinois’ five turnovers. Still, he’s just a freshman, learning the game as he goes. The Illini have themselves a ball handler who is also a lethal scorer.

Kylan Boswell (C+): It’s been a slow start for the Champaign native, who has topped five points just once in his last eight games. Junior guard Kylan Boswell arrived in Champaign to be a veteran leader who added almost 40% shooting from three.

However, he has brought his late struggles from Arizona to Illinois through two games. It’s been difficult for Boswell to find buckets, as he’s 2-8 from the field, 1-6 from three and 2-4 from the free-throw line. He has been a fine backup facilitator and defender, but at some point, the Illini freshman will hit a block and need their experienced guys to step up.

Tre White (B+): It was one of the quieter performances Friday night, but junior guard Tre White had a fantastic game. He filled up every box on the stat sheet except turnovers, but his efficient 13 points stood out. 

Tre White was crowned “Mr. Consistency” this offseason by head coach Brad Underwood and showed that against SIU Edwardsville. He knocked down three of five from long range and brought five boards against a scrappy rebounding team. 

Ben Humrichous (A): This is what Humrichous came to Illinois to do. The forward took eight three-pointers, drained five of them and brought in two big offensive rebounds. Humrichous has been labeled as the top shooter on the roster by many. There should be plenty more eight or more attempt games from him.

“A lot of my development here is the coaching staff instilling confidence in my ability to shoot,” Humrichous said. “We’ve never really talked about numbers, but I would say the Lord has gifted me with the ability to shoot and the ability to do it at a high percentage.”

He is the only graduate student on the roster, so, like Boswell, there will certainly be games where the Illini need Humrichous to step up. He showed Friday that he is more than capable of hitting some big-time shots.

Tomislav Ivisic (B+): Many Illini played well against the Cougars, but few compared to sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic. Everyone knew the 7-foot-1 big man was talented, but he hadn’t shown any weaknesses through two contests. His ability to shoot the three has been the best part of the game. He can truly stretch the floor from the center position.

“I think that we were very intentional with our recruiting — positional size and three-point shooting,” Underwood said. “We didn’t want to put people out here who couldn’t shoot.”

After attempting six threes against Eastern Illinois on Monday, Ivisic made two of his four attempts on Friday. Illinois got a taste of tall shooters with Coleman Hawkins, but Underwood has never had someone who can do what Ivisic does, both in the post and beyond the arc.

Will Riley (B-): The kid can shoot a basketball. After hitting five in his debut, freshman forward Will Riley knocked down three more and recorded 14 points and seven rebounds in game two. His offensive abilities have no ceiling, and Underwood smiles every time he talks about Riley.

Defensively and rebounding, Riley showed he still has some room for improvement. The Cougars were physical and relentless on the glass, which caught Riley lacking a couple of times. But he’s just 18, and the rest of his game is so good that there’s no reason to believe he won’t improve in every facet.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (C): After two solid performances from sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a bad shooting day was in the cards. He made just one shot and none of his five three-point attempts, and it felt like he forced a couple of shots late. His motor was high, as always, though, and he displayed great defensive intensity on the floor.

Morez Johnson Jr. (B+): Illinois fans have waited to see freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. in person for years, and it’s just as sweet as they could have hoped. The big man secured eight rebounds, three of which were offensive. He was rewarded after one of his second chances with a put-back layup, his lone field goal of the game. For a team that could get out-beat on the boards early in the season, Johnson has a steady glass presence.

Carey Booth (C-): It wasn’t necessarily a horrible game, but his shots wouldn’t fall. Sophomore forward Carey Booth has a sweet touch for a 6-foot-10 forward, but he couldn’t sink any of his four three-point attempts. He also missed two free throws and surrendered a couple of boards to the Cougars, so some growth is needed to trust Booth in big games. 

Jake Davis (B): Sophomore guard Jake Davis only tallied three minutes, but he still displayed why he could eventually get real minutes if someone gets in foul trouble. Davis calmly lined up his only shot attempt of the game from the right wing and easily drilled the three. This isn’t a big year for the Mercer transfer, but if he proves he can make threes consistently, he will be a valuable guy to fill minutes or finish halves. 

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