Illinois Basketball: 4 big questions for the Illini vs Rutgers

3. What role will Melendez have?

Uh oh, Brad Underwood has a problem, albeit a good one, on his hands. Illinois has a veteran team filled with seniors, super seniors, and at least one future NBA talent. What does he do about an emerging freshman?

There have been a few times this season where RJ Melendez has stepped foot on the court and wowed me. He has been an extremely efficient player this season playing 135 minutes and having only eight turnovers. That efficiency has seeped into his shooting as well.

Melendez is easily one of the best shooters on the Illinois basketball team. He hasn’t shot too many times this season, thanks to the low number of minutes, but he has impressed thus far. He is 7-of-10 from three-point range and has hit 59.5% of his shots from the field.

Over the past couple of games, Melendez has been forced into the lineup for one reason or another. In the time he has received, he has shined bright and has given Illini fans a reason to want him in the lineup more often.

A big question I have for the game on Wednesday night is what will Melendez’s role be against Rutgers? Will Underwood continue to give him solid minutes? He has earned a solid role on the Illinois basketball team.

I would argue Melendez is the reason why Illinois beat Northwestern this past Sunday. We struggled mightily, but Melendez came through big. In just 17 minutes of action, he would drop 14 points, six rebounds, and two steals. He also shot 3-of-4 from the field and hit all six of his free throws.

Obviously, I believe Melendez should see a bigger role against Rutgers and moving forward. I will be keeping an eye out on Wednesday night to see if Underwood feels the same way.