Illinois Basketball: Evaluating the non-conference for Brandin Podziemski

Illinois basketball had a class of 2021 that will be the foundation for great success in the future.

Brandin Podziemski was a part of this soon-to-be-legendary class. He was a borderline top 100 recruit who had all of the talent in the world. The state of Wisconsin even thought so when they announced he was their Mr. Basketball during his senior year.

Podziemksi’s start with the Illini has been a little slow, but he is just a freshman and even Brad Underwood is still trying to figure out what lineup works best.

As time goes on, Podziemski is working his way into the Illinois basketball lineup.

Natural Feel

We haven’t seen too much of Podziemski just yet, but in the minutes he does receive, you can tell the game comes easy to him.

I love the confidence Podziemski has on the floor. He might only be a freshman, but he plays the game with the swag of a 10-year NBA veteran.

Podziemki’s ability to not just get to the rim, but to actually finish, is phenomenal. He knows where he is at all times. I know this sounds like something every player should know, but you would be surprised how many players look lost on the court.

Throughout the non-conference, Podziemski has proven he is ready to go at a moment’s notice. He can shoot well, he has the ability to pass, and he is crashing the glass. These are all things that will help him win playing time in the coming months.

Earning Trust

As mentioned just a couple of sentences ago, Podziemski is doing things on the court that will earn him more playing time over the next few months. This trust that Underwood is gaining with Podziemski will continue to build as long as the star freshman continues to be an efficient player on the court

Over the past two games, Podziemski is averaging 10 minutes in each contest. During this time, he is putting up 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 71.4% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

These numbers will help Podziemski get playing time down the road, but so will his ability to not turn the ball over.

In seven games this season, Podziemski has played a total of 38 minutes and has exactly two turnovers. When you break down the number of turnovers per 100 possessions among scholarship players on the team, Podziemski ranks No. 5 with just 2.6 turnovers per 100 possessions. That is some efficient basketball.

Overall

I didn’t have huge expectations for Podziemski during the non-conference because I knew how much guard and wing talent Illinois had coming back this season. With that being said, Podziemski is right on track with where I thought he would be at this point.

The non-conference is, essentially, the proving ground for Underwood. He wants to see who he can use in the Big Ten season to give the program the best chance to win. I think Podziemski has proven to be an asset to this team moving forward this season.