Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini victory over Nebraska

4. Grandy Man is starting to become a fan favorite

Do you know what is exciting? The fact Illinois is getting back some pretty good talent next season. Adam Miller will be back. Andre Curbelo will be back. But we are also getting some great role players back.

One player who is starting to become one of my favorite players is Jacob Grandison. I wasn’t sure what Illinois was getting with the Holy Cross transfer. I thought maybe he was going to give the program 5-10 minutes per game. I was wrong.

Grandison has become a crucial piece to the Illinois basketball team. He continues to show why he was a wanted transfer a couple of years back. And he is only a junior, so Illinois is getting the kid back for next season.

On Thursday night, Grandison performed well again. He dropped 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in just 23 minutes of action. He was 4-of-7 from the field and got to the free throw line for seven attempts and converted six shots.

I continue to try to think of comparisons for Grandison. The kid has solid length and can play the wing well. When I think of former Illinois basketball players, the first player that comes to mind is Malcolm Hill.

Grandison is a little quicker than Hill, though. I believe they both have a solid mid-range shot. They are smart players as well. I think, if he was starting and played more minutes, Grandison could average 14 points or more in the Big Ten. He could put up Hill-type numbers.

But, for now, Grandison is right where he should be. He is a role player on a top 10 program. This kid is going to be extremely important as we head into March.