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Illinois Basketball: 5 biggest surprises for the Illini in 2017-2018

By Rees Woodcock

PISCATAWAY, NJ - FEBRUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during the first half of the College Basketball Game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 25, 2018, at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - FEBRUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during the first half of the College Basketball Game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 25, 2018, at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WI – JANUARY 19: Illinois guard Aaron Jordan (23) tries to get around Wisconsin guard Brevin Pritzl (1) during a college basketball game between the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on January 19, 2018 at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI. (Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MADISON, WI – JANUARY 19: Illinois guard Aaron Jordan (23) tries to get around Wisconsin guard Brevin Pritzl (1) during a college basketball game between the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on January 19, 2018 at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI. (Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Aaron Jordan rose from the ashes

The final year of the John Groce era was not what many Illinois fans had expected. They didn’t make the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season, and that was the final straw for the program. They let Groce go and moved on to Brad Underwood.

Under Underwood’s leadership, the Illini missed their fifth straight NCAA tournament. I know that sounds bad but rebuilding a program that has failed for a half-decade is not an overnight job. Underwood is starting to get his players in and weeding out the bad Groce players. But, there was also some hidden treasure buried on the bench as well.

Aaron Jordan averaged 1 point and 1.1 rebounds per game in Groce’s final season. He only saw the court 6.9 minutes per game as well. That all changed with Underwood partially due to lack of depth and mostly due to Jordan’s ability to score and his improving defense.

Jordan averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game this past season. He shot 46.7-percent from the field, which is an improvement from 28.6-percent the year before. He was also 46.3-percent from three-point land, which is an improvement from 30-percent the year before.

It was exciting and surprising to see Jordan rise from the ashes. Is he a Big Ten caliber starter? I don’t think so, but I think he is a great bench player who could help the Illini tremendously. I also think he can come into games and singlehandedly win one or two for the Illini by getting hot from deep.

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