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Illinois Basketball: Illini Players Improving or Declining this Season?

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 3, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) drives to the basket as Maryland Terrapins forward Robert Carter (4) defends during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) drives to the basket as Maryland Terrapins forward Robert Carter (4) defends during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois Basketball
Mar 3, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) drives to the basket as Maryland Terrapins forward Robert Carter (4) defends during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

The Illinois basketball team hasn’t played well this season, but they have some talented players.

Some of these players played meaningful minutes last season.  Have they improved or declined this season compared to last, though?

Malcolm Hill (Improved)

This season Hill’s minutes have slight decreased so has the rest of his stats.  He averaged 18.1 points per game last season and now he is at 17.8 PPG.

Hill’s rebounds declined to 5.9 rebounds per game from the 6.6 RPG last season.  His assists also went from 3.3 assists per game last season to 2.5 APG this season.

But, Hill’s minutes also went from 35.1 minutes per game last season to 32.4 MPG this season.  He has less of a workload so of course his other stats will decrease.

The real key statistics to see whether or not Hill’s production has increased or decreased is his efficiency.

Last season, Hill was shooting at a clip of 43.6-percent from the field.  That is a pretty good number and he increased that to 44.5-percent so far this season.

Hill has also increased his three-point shooting from 31.4-percent to 35.9-percent this season.  That is a big bonus for the Illini.  He is taking more three-point shots and making more.

The only decrease in efficiency for Hill is his free throw shooting.  Last season he was shooting 82.1-percent from the free throw line and this season he is only at 79.4-percent.

Most of Hill’s stats are down this season but so are his minutes played.  He has increased his efficiency, though, and that is why I would say he has improved from last season.

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