Illinois Basketball: Evaluating the non-conference for Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

The expectations were pretty low for Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk heading into the current Illinois basketball campaign.

Verdonk wasn’t used much as a freshman, and his numbers hit a career-low last season for the Illini. So, there was no reason to think he was going to do much this year, especially with so much talent returning and being added.

That hasn’t been the case at all, though. Verdonk isn’t just used on occasions, this kid is becoming a solid part of the team’s success.

Verdonk is developing his role and his numbers are improving for the Illinois basketball team.

Role Development

Before this season, Verdonk was just a bench guy who would come into the game in garbage time. He wasn’t looked at as a viable option to play serious minutes in meaningful games.

Brad Underwood has started to develop Verdonk’s role, though. He is now a player who can come in and give the Illini 6-10 minutes of solid basketball. Verdonk is a decent rebounder and is scrappy. He has started to carve out his role on this team.

Numbers Improvement

Verdonk’s ability on the court has proven to be valuable, and Underwood is shifting more minutes his way. Verdonk went from averaging just 2.3 minutes per game last season to 8.6 minutes per game this year.

Through the non-conference slate, Verdonk is averaging career-highs with 1.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He is also hitting a career-high from the field at 45%.

Overall

I am extremely happy with what Illinois is getting out of Verdonk through the non-conference. This is a kid who I had riding the pine the rest of his Illini career and, potentially, transferring out of the program. Honestly, this is a great comeback in my eyes. I can’t wait to see him continue to develop over the next couple of seasons.