Illinois Basketball: Thoughts heading into the first Illini exhibition game
And just like that, Illinois basketball is BACK!
Sound the alarms. As of tomorrow, it will have been 217 days since the Illini fell in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Fighting Sister Jeans. A loss that has haunted the fanbase for quite some time can start being shoved to the back of the memory bank as a new season is upon us.
I might be getting a little ahead of myself, as the actual regular season doesn’t start until Tuesday, November 9 against Jackson State. But any basketball is good basketball. Illinois takes on St. Francis (ILL) in an exhibition this Saturday at 8 pm CT on BTN+.
There are a couple of things to keep an eye on in the first Illinois basketball exhibition.
Where is the production coming from?
You can’t take away too much from a game that technically doesn’t matter. But we are in a post-Ayo Dosunmu world, and that can be kind of scary when it comes to who will pick up the pieces left behind by the departing players.
Ayo, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and Adam Miller all left the team. Those numbers are going to have to be replaced. I am going to keep an eye on who can emerge as a serious scoring threat to replace the scoring that is missing from this trio’s departure.
Who emerges in the starting five?
Another mental note I have coming into the game is who will emerge as the starting five for the Illini this season. Andre Curbelo, Trent Frazier, and Kofi Cockburn are the only locks to start in my book. I am going to keep an eye on the other two starters.
Austin Hutcherson is finally suiting up
I can’t wait to finally see Austin Hutcherson on the basketball court for the Illini. The former Wesleyan University standout transferred into the program a few years back and has yet to play for the Orange and Blue. I have a feeling he is going to be an important piece this season, but I need to see it for myself on Saturday.
Gelling is going to be important
Lastly, I will be looking to see how well new pieces gel with old pieces. Hutcherson, Alfonso Plummer, Luke Goode, RJ Melendez, Brandin Podziemski, and Omar Payne are all important players on this team. I want to see how they work with the old pieces who have been with the program for a few years.
Next. Prediction for week eight vs. Penn State. dark
The regular season is so close to starting. These exhibition games are more important than people think, though. This Illinois basketball team is poised for great things in 2021-22.