Not much has gone wrong in the last two games for Illinois (5-1). After its first loss of the year, Illinois returned home and comfortably beat Maryland Eastern Shore (2-7) and Little Rock (3-4) before the non-conference schedule picks back up. The chemistry is getting stronger within the locker room, and it’s showing on the court.
Kylan Boswell (B): Junior guard Kylan Boswell seems to be settling into the offense. He is still struggles to be efficient, but his shot-taking and facilitating look more comfortable. Head coach Brad Underwood mentioned that his system is more free than that of Arizona, Boswell’s previous school. It’s only natural that it took some time for Boswell to adjust.
Boswell’s comfort level is vital to Illinois if it wants to make a deep postseason run. He’s a veteran with valuable March experience and has looked better in every game. His defense and physicality will never leave, but the offensive statistics should get more consistent in the coming weeks.
Kasparas Jakucionis (A): If you want to talk about uncanny comfort, look no further than the Lithuanian ball handler. With how he has clicked in the last two contests, freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis might as well be Lethal Shooter with his “I understand it now” meme.
After a slow start from deep, he has knocked down four of his last eight attempts. Even more impressive is the assist to turnover rate. After 11 combined turnovers against Oakland and No. 9 Alabama, Jakucionis only surrendered four in his last two games.
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Besides cleaning up turnovers and improving his three-point percentage — his two weakest areas so far — he has improved his strengths as well. He totaled 13 rebounds, nine assists and a whopping seven steals against UMES and Little Rock, showing he can do it all.
Tre White (B+): Through six games, we haven’t seen a truly “bad” game from junior guard Tre White. While he may not be flashy or run up the score every night, he is solid where Illinois needs it.
Illinois has struggled with free throws, but White is 13-14 on the season and steps up when they need him. The transfer has also helped on the glass. Nineteen rebounds in the last two games is an exceptional total for a 6-foot-7 guard and takes some pressure off the bigs.
Ben Humrichous (C): This is not a grade that people should worry about, but it was a difficult two-game stretch for him. Graduate student forward Ben Humrichous was touted as an elite shooter heading into the season but went 3-12 against UMES and Little Rock.
Sometimes, the shot doesn’t fall, which is why it’s not too concerning. Still, he could be doing more in other areas. He takes far more three-pointers than twos and hasn’t been amazing on the defensive end. When his shot returns, he will be a more effective player, but it was a cold couple of days.
Tomislav Ivisic (A-): Sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic continues to be everything Illinois dreamed of and more. At 7-foot-1, Ivisic is an utter mismatch for smaller teams in the post. His floater and postgame around the basket will win the Illini plenty of games this year against teams with smaller defenders and zone defenses.
Defensively, Ivisic has been pretty solid against weaker competition, but he needs to get faster. His play recognition and reaction time have been slow, and he will hurt Illinois against top-tier opponents. However, it’s not something to stress over. His offense more than makes up for the slow defensive start. Oh, and also, he’s only played six collegiate games. He’ll get better.
Will Riley (B+): The Canadian is the best scorer on the team, and it may not be close. Despite still coming off the bench, freshman forward Will Riley averaged 16 points in the last two games and is as lethal as they come from behind the arc.
One knock is still his size. There’s not much you can do about it at this point, but a sub-200-pound, 6-foot-8 small forward isn’t ideal sometimes. He’s had a few lackluster showings against mid-major schools, hinting it could still be a problem later. Again, like most of the Illini, as they get more experience, they will improve. Still, the defense and physicality need to improve everywhere.
Morez Johnson Jr. (B+): Here’s your physicality. Although it’s just his first season, freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. is a unit. You can see the wheels churning while he’s playing, and he’s learned a lot in these last two games.
Johnson reached double-digit rebounds off the bench in both matchups, including 12 offensive boards between both contests. Great teams get second-chance opportunities, and Johnson supplies the Illini with those chances.
He has also learned how to be physical without fouling. Obviously, the competition was lighter, but that’s a crucial skill for a younger big man. No. 19 Arkansas will test his abilities, but he will be needed to assert a presence in the paint without picking up four quick fouls like he did against Alabama.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (C-): After a quick start to the year, sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn fell back into the shadows. He is 6-20 from the field and 2-12 from three in his last three games. The Illini need the early Gibbs-Lawhorn, who works his butt off and lets the game come to him.
Carey Booth (D+): The transfer from Notre Dame hasn’t seen the floor much in the last couple of games as Underwood’s rotation gets solidified. When he does play, he’s been inefficient and stays out near the three-point line. Without producing in many other areas, sophomore forward Carey Booth is unlikely to see much more real action this season.
Jake Davis (C-): Sophomore forward Jake Davis hasn’t gotten much run either, so we have a small sample size to deal with. The good news is that Davis gets some playing time in a year when they don’t expect him to contribute much. He looks comfortable from behind the arc, although he hasn’t hit many threes, which is most important.
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