Illinois Basketball: 5 takeaways from the Illini loss to Iowa

2. Lineup changes for the future

I add this slide into every takeaway article that I do because I think this is a constant work-in-progress. On Thursday night, Brad Underwood started Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams, Mark Alstork, Leron Black and Michael Finke. This needs to change now.

Frazier at the No. 1, Williams at the No. 2 and Black at the No. 4 are fine with me. They can continue starting moving forward. But, the No. 3 and No. 5 need to change. Alstork and Finke are absolutely killing this team right now.

Do some players have similar stats as Finke and Alstork and I am not calling them out? Yes, but one of the main reasons why I take such an issue with these two, specifically, is because one is a graduate transfer and the other is a junior who is actually in his fourth year with the program.

Illinois has a lot of youth, so the experienced players like Alstork and Finke need to step up and show them the way. But, that hasn’t happened. That hasn’t been even close to happening. Alstork continues to foul and throw hissy fits on the basketball court. Finke can’t hit a shot and when the ball hits his hands on a rebound it magically floats away from him.

These two have cost the Illini games and playing time for the younger guys. It is time for them to move aside. Finke needs to be replaced by Greg Eboigbodin. He has averaged 9 points and 4.3 rebounds in the last three games. I can’t imagine what he could do with starter minutes. Alstork needs to be replaced with Mark Smith. I know Smith hasn’t been playing well, but I would rather have Smith get experience and learn from his mistakes than a bumbling Alstork fouling every four seconds. It is time for a youth movement in Champaign and that time is now.