Illinois men’s basketball had its first real season test on Sunday as it took on Ole Miss in a charity exhibition game. Despite months of preaching about their offensive talent up to this point, the Illini struggled heavily on both ends of the floor.
The Illini took a loss to the far more experienced Rebels, 91-74. Luckily for the Illini, this game didn’t count. But the regular season starts in less than a week, and adjustments must be made before then. Here are five important takeaways from the new-look Illini’s first true game scenario.
Turnovers are a killer
The Illini turned the ball over 22 times, compared to the Rebels’ nine. Junior guard/forward Ty Rodgers and freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis each lost the ball four times. Junior guard Kylan Boswell also accounted for three of the team’s turnovers. Those three players alone turned it over more than Ole Miss’ entire team.
Errant passes and players trying to do too much in isolation on the perimeter were detrimental to the team’s offense. The Illini couldn’t get much going, especially in the first half. Offensive talent has been a huge talking point about this Illini roster, but it will be a rough start to the season if they can’t even get the offense running.
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Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is playing with confidence
Sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn was extremely impressive for the Illini and was easily the team’s best guard during the game. Gibbs-Lawhorn led the Illini in scoring, racking up 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-10 from the field, including knocking down a trio of three-pointers on 50% shooting from beyond the arc.
From the moment he checked in, he showed his aggressiveness in attacking the lane and confidence in shooting the three. Gibbs-Lawhorn substantiated all the talk of him being a gifted scorer after not having the opportunity to show it much last season. Fans can look for Gibbs-Lawhorn to be one of the first players off the bench this year, receiving substantial minutes on the court.
Where was Ben Humrichous and the rest of the shooting?
Throughout the lead-up to this game, both players and coaches have named graduate student forward Ben Humrichous as one of the most impressive players in practice so far. Head coach Brad Underwood touted his shooting as “elite” on many occasions. However, his performance during Sunday’s exhibition left many viewers scratching their heads.
Humrichous went 1-5 from the field and 0-4 from long distance, which is far from the performance most expected. The team as a whole was no better. The Illini only shot 30.3% from deep compared to the Rebels’ 52.2% clip, despite shooting 10 more threes during the contest.
On paper, the Illini have a roster full of shooting, but they couldn’t find the net in Sunday’s contest. For a team that needs work on the defensive end, their offense cannot struggle like that if they hope to win games.
Tomislav Ivisic showing promise
Sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic was a bright spot for Illinois on Sunday. Ivisic, who is still not officially cleared to play regular season games by the NCAA, played well on both ends of the floor.
He scored 12 points on an efficient 5-6 shooting, including going 2-3 from beyond the three-point line. Overall, he demonstrated his ability to be a threat inside and out.
Ivisic also was a deterrent on the defensive end. He strongly contested mid-range jumpers and shots near the rim while only fouling twice. Now that Ivisic is eligible to start the season on Nov. 4, there’s no doubt he will be a vital piece for the Illini throughout the entire year.
Illini rotation still unclear
The starters for Illinois were expected for the most part. Boswell, Jakucionis, Humrichous and Ivisic were pretty clear locks for the starting lineup based on information the coaches and players have told the media over the last few weeks. However, everyone had questions about the starting small forward. Would it be junior Tre White, freshman Will Riley or Rodgers?
White got the start Sunday after Underwood named him one of the most “consistent” players. However, the minutes were relatively evenly distributed. White and Riley each played 18, and Rodgers played 14. The starter at that position will likely be up in the air until the Illini play more games.
Somewhat surprisingly, sophomore forward/center Carey Booth was the first man off the bench for Illinois. Even sophomore forward Jake Davis played seven minutes despite the belief he’d be buried in the depth chart.
Excluding walk-ons, Underwood played 11 players, which is more than he usually does. Illinois fans should keep an eye on who steps up as the regular season begins and the rotation likely tightens up.
@sahil_mittal24
