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Illinois Basketball: Should there be a lineup change for the Illini?

By Blaine Lewallen

CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Mark Smith (13) dribbles into Austin Peay Governors Guard Steve Harris (23) during the college basketball game between the Austin Peay Governors and the Illinois Fighting Illini on December 6, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Mark Smith (13) dribbles into Austin Peay Governors Guard Steve Harris (23) during the college basketball game between the Austin Peay Governors and the Illinois Fighting Illini on December 6, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The play of a few Illinois basketball players has been disappointing in recent games, while others have made major strides.

So a question among many Illinois fans is should there be a lineup change?

This past Sunday against Maryland, the starting lineup of the Illini had absolutely no energy to start the game. This led to a 10-0 hole that the Illini had to climb out of, so Brad Underwood pulled five guys off of his bench which provided a spark. But this game was lost in the beginning.

Now, I am not proposing that Underwood should completely revamp his lineup. But, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of changes to the lineup and rotation for this week’s games.

I think Mark Alstork and Leron Black should stay in the lineup this week for sure. Alstork had a tremendous week, especially late in the Maryland game. He was all over the place and really did a nice job on Anthony Cowan. Black is one of the leaders and veterans of the team and has led the team in scoring and rebounding (14.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) so far this season.

Te’Jon Lucas should remain the point guard, although there really is not a drop off when Trent Frazier comes into the game to take over the ball-handling duties. I think Lucas should stay in the lineup because he has more experience and is a little more polished as a point guard right now. Lucas leads the team with 3.6 assists per game.

Frazier should continue getting solid minutes, as he really provided a spark Sunday in the Illini comeback. Brad Underwood has emphasized how great he has been in practice recently, and this seems to be really carrying over to gameplay.

From there, I think there should be some changes. This starts with replacing Michael Finke.  Although he is another veteran of the team, I have been very disappointed in his play recently. I expected more from Finke, especially to start Big Ten play.

Now obviously it would hurt a little to take Finke’s 6-foot-10 frame out of the lineup, but I think Kipper Nichols is the better option at this point.  Nichols is much more athletic than Finke, and despite being only 6-foot-6, he is strong enough to rebound with the best of them.  His athleticism is really what sets him apart from Finke.  Finke is just too slow on his feet and has not been knocking down shots of late.

Joining Nichols in the lineup should be Aaron Jordan. Jordan has clearly been the biggest surprise this season. He currently is third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game, while shooting an astonishing 62.2-percent from three-point range. He plays with a lot of emotion, something the Illini needs on a regular basis.

This would leave Mark Smith to come off the bench, which isn’t such a bad thing. I think this might help him get into a better rhythm. He had a pretty awful week this past week, which was not good to see. Underwood didn’t seem too concerned, though, which is a good sign. Smith just looked lost both offensively and defensively, which is to be expected for a freshman. I expect him to come around eventually, but I think Jordan is the better option right now.

As far as the bench goes, obviously Finke and Smith would be the first ones to come into the game. I think Frazier will continue to get solid minutes, and Da’Monte Williams will also get some decent time. I really like Williams; he’s one of those sneaky-athletic guys who can jump out of the gym, and I think he is one of the Illini’s best on-ball defenders.

Another guy that should be mentioned is Greg Eboigbodin. Eboigbodin came into the game early Sunday and really played well.  I like his length and ability to protect the rim a lot. If Finke continues to struggle I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get increasing minutes in the near future.

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I don’t think this lineup change is urgent. Underwood made a change for the Austin Peay game replacing Smith with Williams but he may continue to ride the starting lineup he began the year with.  Maintaining a lineup helps the guys solidify their roles and play with confidence. But, a change is definitely something that Underwood and company should consider for this week.

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