There hasn’t been much to complain about in the first two weeks for Illinois. Despite a closer affair with Oakland, all three games have been blowout wins for Illinois, and there is much to be excited about.
While the Illini remain unranked heading into the weekend, the new roster has shown flashes of their elite talent. So, let’s overreact to the good — and the bad — from the first three games.
Tomislav Ivisic is the best player on the roster
Sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic was a little bit overlooked coming into Champaign this offseason. Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis and freshman forward Will Riley were regarded as better players and one-and-dones.
None of the offseason chatter matters now, and although Jakucionis and Riley have shown they will be very good players, Ivisic has stood above the rest. Through three games, the big man is averaging 17.3 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
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Some believed Ivisic would be nothing more than a solid center, but he has proven to be much more. His quickness at 7-foot-1 is impressive, and it’s shown by his coordination in the paint to intercept passes. He’s also taking four three-pointers per game, which is something no Illinois center has ever shown confidence in doing. This presence from both the arc and the paint stretches the floor and is the most consistent thing Illinois has had so far.
Turnovers will plague this team all year long
Illinois has played four games — including the exhibition — and two of them have been a very poor display of ball security. Twenty-two turnovers against Ole Miss and 18 against Oakland are worrying but not surprising.
Head coach Brad Underwood said Jakucionis had never faced a zone defense before coming to Illinois. There is a comfort level this inexperienced roster needs to reach before we can be confident in Illinois.
Even when the chemistry is further developed, there’s no guarantee they won’t continue to have high turnover games. Underwood likes to run a fast-paced offense. More possessions certainly leave room for more turnovers. Illinois fans will also just have to accept that the ball will be in the hands of a lot of young guys, and mistakes are bound to happen.
No. 6 Duke’s star freshman forward and projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg is a perfect example. In the final 12 seconds of an anticipated matchup against No. 19 Kentucky, Flagg turned it over twice and allowed the game-clinching offensive rebound, showing that you have to be patient with freshmen.
Obviously, lots of turnovers aren’t a positive thing, but it shouldn’t be seen as an issue that handicaps Illinois’ ability to be an overall good basketball team.
This is the deepest team in the Big Ten
Star players aside, this is a deep roster. You have four stars on the bench, and the roster was so talented it forced redshirt sophomore forward Ty Rodgers to sit out the season after starting all 38 games last year.
Even without Rodgers, the Illini can go 10 deep if needed. I wouldn’t count on sophomore forward Jake Davis to play much, but he’s proven he can knock down the three-ball if needed. The talent has spoken for itself so far, but just how far will it take them?
Illinois can win 25+ games
It can take them pretty far. Yeah, they struggled against Oakland, but it’s early. These early tests will mold them for later on. As of right now, they have eight ranked games on the slate, and Wisconsin and Maryland look good early too.
That doesn’t matter, though — this is an overreaction after all — because Illinois should be ranked soon. A loss to No. 2 Alabama may delay it, but they’ll be ranked at some point. A deep March Madness run is more uncertain due to the lack of experience, but through three games, Illinois looks very good.
@benfader7
