Illinois Basketball: Illini might be at full strength against Georgetown

While it was fun to watch the Illinois basketball team roll over Evansville, the Illini still didn’t have their full squad suited up.

In the game against the Purple Aces, both freshmen Alan Griffin and Samba Kane were out. It was being reported that Griffin had a knee injury that he was still tending to, and Kane had to sit out due to a violation of team rules. Neither was needed against Evansville, but they will both be needed against Georgetown.

On Monday, multiple outlets reported that both Griffin and Kane will be suiting up and available for the Illini against the Hoyas on Tuesday night. This was huge news considering they provide depth and talent for this Orange and Blue crew.

When Griffin took the court during the scrimmage against Illinois Wesleyan, I was extremely pleased with what I saw. He seemed to be getting the game down quickly. He finished the night with four points and four assists. He was 1-of-1 from the field and that was a three-point shot. Having Griffin come off the bench to spell some minutes is important for this running Illini team.

Kane can also help the Illini, especially against Georgetown. Illinois is going up against Jessie Govan who is 6-foot-10, 255-pounds. They are going to need more options at the No. 5 on Tuesday night. Having Kane come in for Giorgi Bezhanishvili at times is going to be crucial. He only played four minutes in the scrimmage, but he scored two points and pulled down a rebound. The kid is raw but has potential.

There are also reports that big man Adonis De La Rosa also might be available against Georgetown. He is a graduate transfer big man who could really do some damage as long as he is healthy. It will be interesting to see if he sees the court on Tuesday night.

It sounds like Illinois might be at full strength or nearly there, anyways, against the Hoyas. There is a lot of potential for this Illini team to be good as long as everyone is available. Hopefully, we can come away with a win.