Wednesday night’s game between Illinois and Hampton had a strange feel to it.

The light opponent combined with the burden of finals week (it was a “break game” for Orange Krush) contributed to an even lighter crowd. The letdown vibe was enhanced by the fact that Hampton was sandwiched between high-profile games in Chicago vs. Oregon and in St. Louis vs. Missouri. The result was a virtual no-win situation for Illinois when it took the floor against the Pirates. 

Sure, the Illini won the game 73-55, and they won it easily. That’s what they’re supposed to do against weaker opponents like Hampton, so there wasn’t much to gain big-picture wise from this matchup. It’s a thankless position to be in as a coach and a team. Winning by a lot likely won’t impress people, and you better not lose, or else. 

However, games like this give players a chance to step up and prove themselves worthy of more playing time. There’s also more margin for error, so head coach John Groce can be more liberal with the lineups and rotations. And when stars like Rayvonte Rice and Malcolm Hill get off to slow starts like they did Wednesday night, other guys can pick up the scoring slack.

That’s what happened against Hampton, as Jaylon Tate, Kendrick Nunn and Nnanna Egwu all had very productive offensive games. Nunn led all scorers with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Egwu and Tate added 10 and eight points, respectively. 

We know Nunn and Egwu are capable of scoring effectively, as they’ve done it against quality opponents plenty of times before. But when those two are actively seeking out scoring opportunities and executing offensively like they were Wednesday, this Illini team is way more dangerous. Add an aggressive style of play from Tate into the mix, and you have three guys who can really help Illinois going forward if they fully assert themselves. 

Solid point guard play from Tate can especially benefit the Illini once conference play hits. He’s seemed somewhat hesitant in the past to look to score, but against Hampton he attacked the lane hard, drawing four shooting fouls and converting all eight of his free throw attempts. Once Tate can establish himself as a capable threat on offense, he’ll be able to keep defenses honest and his vision and uncanny ability to distribute the ball will take over. 

It was also nice to see that just one day after rumors heated up of a possible commitment to Illinois from class of 2015 point guard Marcus LoVett, Tate offered reassuring flashes of a capability to eventually take over as the Illini floor general of the future.

We’re now 11 games into the season, and it’s apparent that Hill and Rice will likely have to carry a significant load offensively. We also know that guard Aaron Cosby is mired in the depths of a difficult slump, shooting 6-for-43 from the field over his last six games. 

As we’ve seen against quality opponents, sometimes Hill and Rice’s efforts by themselves aren’t enough to win games. If Nunn, Egwu and Tate can replicate the aggresiveness they showed against Hampton in the future, Illinois will be in good shape.  

This team is a work in progress, and Wednesday was another step in the process.

“We’re still not there yet,” Groce said after the game. “We’ve got a high ceiling, I really believe that.”

Alex is junior in AHS. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @aroux94.