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Illinois Basketball: Player expectations for 2017-2018 season

By Rees Woodcock

March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; General view of the court before the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Iona Gaels in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; General view of the court before the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Iona Gaels in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois basketball team looks massively different compared to last year.

This team has some of the old faces you know, but it also now has four new faces who should be big impact players for the team. They will be looked upon to help lead this team to the postseason.

Here are the expectations for each player next season.

Leron Black

Last season Leron Black was a solid player for the Illini but he wasn’t spectacular. No Illinois basketball player had a great season. But, next year should be different.

Black averaged 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season. His rebounding average led the team, and don’t expect that to change this year. He should be able to increase both of these numbers tremendously.

The expectation of Black this upcoming season should be as a leader throughout the game and as an emotional leader. He has the fire inside to be one of the best in the Big Ten, but he has to find a way to hone that aggression into positive basketball plays.

Black will likely be the starting center for this team heading into the season. He is a little short for the No. 5 spot but he can still man-up with some of the best and he has a 6-foot-11.5 wingspan. This will help when defending players who are three or four inches taller.

Look for Black to increase his point total to around 13 points per game. He will benefit in the transition game and should be able to get easy baskets around the rim. Also look for his rebounds to increase to about 10 per game as well. With the amount of shots the Illini will be throwing up, there will be plenty of opportunities to pull down boards.

Black should be able to average a double-double in points and rebounds next season. He has the ability but he needs to stay on the court to be able to accomplish this goal.

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