Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Northwestern

In what was a much closer game than it needed to be, the Illinois basketball team managed to take down the Northwestern Wildcats.

To start, I thought Illinois was going to potentially run away with this game. The Illini started hot but cooled off quickly. Despite a five-point halftime lead, Illinois would let the game slip to the point where Northwestern was leading late in the second half. A great effort by the Illini down the stretch enabled the Orange and Blue to come away with the win, 59-56.

Here are four observations from the Illinois basketball win over Northwestern.

1. Freshmen saved the day

Illinois obviously had some of their regular stars step up and have a good night, but this isn’t a win over Northwestern without the help from the freshmen trio.

Usually, the freshman to get the most leash is Luke Goode. He did end up getting the first crack at playing time, but things weren’t going his way immediately as he had two fouls and two turnovers in five minutes of action.

But, in a shocking move, Brad Underwood ended up turning to the other two freshmen. Both Brandin Podziemski and RJ Melendez got their chance to put in good minutes, and they didn’t disappoint on the court.

Melendez received the most minutes of the freshman trio, logging 16 minutes, which is the most by any bench player. He would finish the game with six points, three rebounds, and one assist. Melendez’s length helped on the defensive end of the court, and the fact he contributed on offense was huge for the program.

It made me happy to see Podziemski get some shine. He received six minutes and finished with five points and one assist. His three-pointer came at a huge point in the game, and he is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his great hustle.

I want to see more freshmen playing time. This trio isn’t just our future, but they can help this team win now. Against Northwestern, they saved the day.