Illinois Basketball: Brandin Podziemski already an Illini fan favorite

Do you want to know how to win over the Illinois basketball fanbase without even playing a game? It is a pretty simple answer.

Stay true to the Orange and Blue.

On Tuesday, Brandin Podziemski became one of my favorite Illinois players in recent memory when he tweeted out that he was reaffirming his commitment to the Illini. In the tweet, he stated, “To put any rumors and/or speculation to rest, I am 110% committed to Coach Underwood, his staff, the University of Illinois, and my future teammates therein. I am blessed to have this opportunity and I’m excited to get to work.”

That statement right there warms the hearts of every member of Illini Nation, and Podziemski is now one of the most loved players to ever suit up for the program, despite not yet actually suiting up.

A little deeper look into Illinois basketball commit Brandin Podziemski

Podziemski is saying all of the right things as he enters into the college ranks in the coming months, but can this kid really live up to the hype that he is bringing to Champaign?

Rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 66 player in the 2021 class, Podziemski has the national attention to put on an Illinois uniform and compete for minutes from day one. But what about his game would enable him to compete for minutes and even a starting job?

In my opinion, you need to look at Podziemski’s shooting numbers, particularly from three-point range. The current cycle of basketball has the three-point ball being the main focus. If you can knock down the three-point shot, then you will have a place at any level.

Podziemski took a huge leap in progression from his junior to senior year at St. John’s Northwestern.  Each season, he attempted around nine three-point field goals per game. That is a high volume, but during his junior year, Podziemski was only hitting those shots at a clip of 33-percent. With almost the same exact number of three-pointers attempted as a senior, he would increase his shooting percentage from distance up to 43-percent.

Now let’s step back and think about what I just said. As a senior, Podziemski was attempting nine three-pointers per game and hitting them at a clip of 43-percent. If you look at college basketball numbers, there were only five college basketball players last season who attempted more three-point shots per game. The best three-point shooting percentage out of those five players was 37.2-percent.

Podziemski’s three-point range is just one aspect of his game that Illinois fans should be excited about. This kid has an extremely bright future in the game of basketball. Reaffirming his commitment to the Orange and Blue is just the start of what should be a special run in Champaign.