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Illinois Basketball: Which Illini players hit expectations in 2017-2018

By Rees Woodcock

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini gives instructions to his players during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini gives instructions to his players during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 08: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Greg Eboigbodin (11) slows down play after grabbing a rebound during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 8, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 08: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Greg Eboigbodin (11) slows down play after grabbing a rebound during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 8, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Greg Eboigbodin

Expectation: Did Not Hit

One of the more disappointing positions this season was the No. 5 spot for the Illini. Illinois didn’t have a solid No. 5 on the team already and the newcomers didn’t perform the way I had hoped they would. Greg Eboigbodin is in that mix of newcomers for the Illini.

I was hoping Eboigbodin would have been a solid contributor on the Illinois basketball team last season. I expected Michael Finke to start and Eboigbodin then could come in and put up some great numbers as a true freshman. That didn’t happen, though.

Eboigbodin finished the year averaging 2.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and .4 blocks per game. He wasn’t the blocking machine I was hoping for, and he couldn’t really rebound too well. He had trouble staying on the floor as well. The fouls were a big issue for him and this hurt the team. They needed bodies on the court.

My expectation for Eboigbodin was something like 5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He was about half of those numbers, and that is why I have him as not hitting the expectations I set out for him this past season.

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