It wasn’t without some sweat and potentially a heart attack, but the Illinois basketball team came away with a big win over Northwestern on Sunday.
Things were looking good going into halftime. The Illini had a 14-point lead and were unstoppable. But then the second half started. The Wildcats came out looking ferocious and took it to Illinois. In the blink of an eye, an 18-point Illinois lead turned into Northwestern being down just one point with less than seven minutes to go.
Thankfully, Illinois would stay strong and hold on for a victory, 73-66. But this game made me nervous and left some uncertainty with the program moving forward.
Here are five observations from the Illinois basketball win vs Northwestern.
1. The emergence of RJ Melendez
I have been a pretty big proponent of playing the freshmen. Illinois basketball was able to secure a top 20 class for 2021, and I think we should use the talent from that class.
RJ Melendez was one of the three players who came in from the 2021 class. He was the highest-rated player out of the trio by most of the recruiting sites. Over the past few weeks, Melendez has shown why he was so highly rated.
On Sunday, Melendez once again shined for the Orange and Blue. He was a major reason we were able to emerge victorious after another close game against Northwestern. Melendez would finish the game with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals, and one block on 3-of-4 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
The hustle that Melendez brings to the court is the reason why he was tied for second on the team in rebounding. He stepped up in a big situation and could hit shots when needed. Melendez also got to the free throw line and made all six of his attempts.
But this wasn’t the first time that I have been impressed with Melendez. Every time he steps on the court, he is able to give us something. Even when he only plays two minutes against Wisconsin, he still comes away with a rebound.
I don’t know if it is just the youth in Melendez coming out, but when he is on the court, there is a different energy about this team. He is a spark plug for the program and someone who might be in consideration for a starting job in the near future.