Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Notre Dame

3. I respect what Underwood did with the lineups

Leading up to the Notre Dame game, it was uncertain who would actually suit up for the Illinois basketball team. Trent Frazier, Jacob Grandison, Andre Curbelo, and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk were all reported to be out for the game.

Well, as tip-off inched closer, Frazier and Grandison were both given the green light to participate. They were both starters just a few games ago, so it wouldn’t have come as a surprise to see them inserted back into the starting lineup.

But Brad Underwood didn’t put them in the starting lineup. He clearly went with the lineup he had written down for the Notre Dame game prior to Frazier and Grandison getting the green light.

Underwood sticking to the lineup he had planned and bringing Grandison and Frazier off the bench took guts. It showed me that he is flexible with his lineups. He tried something new, and that means a lot to this Illini fan.

Do I think Underwood goes back to his original starting lineup moving forward? Yeah, probably. But I also believe there is a chance we see a slight change in the rotations.

I think Alfonso Plummer has earned a starting spot on the team. While I love what each player brings to the table, Plummer cannot go back to playing a sixth-man role. He is a starter and needs to be on the court as much as possible. The kid is a big-time scorer.

Since Underwood is clearly flexible with his lineups, I think the lineup should look something like Frazier, Plummer, Grandison, Coleman Hawkins, and Kofi Cockburn. That is the lineup I like without Curbelo on the floor. If Curbelo is healthy, let’s go Curbelo, Frazier, Plummer, Grandison, and Kofi.