Illinois (2-0) is starting off strong with its young team. The Illini scored a total of 166 points in the season’s first two games. They are proving that their age is just a number that doesn’t reflect their performance on the court.
Head coach Shauna Green said that coaching a young team comes with its challenges, but that they are up for it and learn each day.
Despite Green saying she’s still learning who plays well with whom, she’s used the same starting lineup. Her decision probably stems from the fact that her starting five put up impressive numbers on the board and are working together to defend.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger: (C+)
One of only a few returners, junior guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger has been using her veteran knowledge to help guide the team of newbies. While her calmness on the floor is helpful, her shooting wasn’t the strongest in her first outings.
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Her first game was extremely lackluster. She had only six points, all from free throws. Her free-throw conversion seems to have taken a jump from last year. Her improved efficiency will be beneficial down the line, as we saw last year with senior guard Genesis Bryant beating No. 14 Maryland by one free throw to prevent overtime and continue Illinois’ then four-game win streak.
This was a positive spin on the junior’s performance last week. Only five Illinois returners earned minutes last week. The only other two returning starters, sophomore forward Berry Wallace and junior guard Gretchen Dolan, stepped up and carried the majority of the team’s offensive load. Meanwhile, Brown-Hagger’s contributions amounted to three rebounds, three steals, five assists, five turnovers and 13 points in two games.
Last season, Brown-Hagger was a major spark off the bench for the short-rostered Illini, but as a starter, she hasn’t been able to give the team as much of a push. With so much roster turnover, this could be that it takes time to get chemistry going, but back-to-back poor shooting performances for Green’s starting guard should be worrying.
Gretchen Dolan: (A-)
Junior guard Gretchen Dolan was the team’s second most efficient scorer in both games. She dropped 16 points on SEMO (1-2) and scored 18 against Illinois State (2-1). Notably, she converted only one three-pointer and shot only five. As a whole, the Illini seem to be uninterested in perimeter shooting, but as the season kicks up, they will likely need to start. Dolan showed her strength in three-point scoring last season. In her eight games, she shot 35.5% from deep.
In addition to her scoring, Dolan played a huge leadership role, keeping the team composed and hunting the next play. She sank a late-game three-pointer, which reenergized her squad. Her defense and playmaking were strong despite how few healthy games she has played between last season and now.
These early performances likely represent the guard’s floor for the season in multilevel scoring and turnovers. She gave the ball away four times to the Redbirds, an increase from two against the Redhawks. As the season progresses, she should fall back into her groove from last season and re-emerge as the Illini’s deep-shooting threat.
Destiny Jackson: (B+)
Starting point guard is no easy task, especially as a freshman. Freshman guard Destiny Jackson proved that she is up for that challenge and that she can do her job well.
Her performance in her first two games showcased her ability to play like a veteran despite being a rookie.
“I’m really proud of where she’s at in terms of being a freshman, playing 30-some minutes a game,” Green said. “How she’s taking care of the basketball … is one of the things I’m most happy about.”
Some of the ways Jackson contributes to the Illini’s success are her dependability on the court and how she can be a leader on defense.
“She made a huge defensive improvement from the first couple games into (the) last game against Illinois State,” Green said. “Her on-ball defense was the best it’s been, and her ability to take care and value possessions has been really big for us.”
The biggest area of improvement for Jackson is going to be maturity and confidence on the court. This will allow her to improve her shot percentage, especially from the field. While Jackson’s free throw attempts are currently 6-8, she’s only 4-12 from the field.
Practice makes perfect, and there’s no doubt that as the season progresses, so will Jackson’s performance.
Berry Wallace: (A)
Sophomore forward Berry Wallace is showing her ability to be a star player for the Illini. In her first two games of the season, she scored 49 points, had 18 rebounds and five assists. In her first official game as a sophomore, Wallace accomplished her first career double-double and scored a career high in points. Wallace led the Illini in points scored for week one and shows no signs of slowing down. She even received her first conference weekly honor by being named to the Big Ten Honor Roll.
“Another thing we talked about the last couple of months … manufacturing points from the free throw line,” Green said after the SEMO victory. “I thought she did a great job of that. To score 27 (points) and 11 (rebounds).”
It is clear that Wallace’s work at the free-throw line from the off-season is paying off. She’s currently 13-17 in just two short games. If Wallace continues to play and lead like a veteran, she will be unstoppable. She’s averaging a 60.7% from the field, 76.5% for free throws, nine rebounds and 24.5 points per game. If she keeps up her performance, fans can expect double-doubles a lot more from Wallace.
Cearah Parchment: (B-)
After leading the team with 22 points and seven rebounds in the exhibition match, freshman forward Cearah Parchment’s first two games were filled with much less fanfare.
She still played up to her starting standard, grabbing nine rebounds against the Redbirds and scoring near double-digits. She had two steals and one block across the two games, showcasing her defensive skillset that will only grow with more time.
Parchment could have a breakout performance similar to Wallace’s last season if she steps up as a three-point shooter. This, in addition to her strong defense, would make her a more efficient offensive threat, which would help pull attention from Dolan and Wallace.
One major area of improvement for Parchment will be learning clean defense. She played only 12 minutes against SEMO, her foul trouble limiting her minutes. In the meantime, Parchment and Jackson both make a few “freshman mistakes,” given their large roles as starters.
“We might make some freshman mistakes, but Coach obviously trusts us,” Jackson said about the freshmen’s reliance on each other.
Moving forward, it’s always one day at a time and one play at a time. That is what Green said her young team can do to move forward.
“For a young team to be able to respond and make one play at a time … not get caught up in the moment,” Green said after the Illinois State victory. “I think that was a huge learning and growth point that we’re going to go back to and we’re going to really try to carry that on with us.”
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