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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Quincy

By Rees Woodcock

Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks onto the court during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks onto the court during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) reacts after dunking against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the semifinals of the West regional of the men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Illinois has an athletic freak in Terrence Shannon Jr.

The transfers that Brad Underwood was able to land this offseason are going to be huge for the program. Yes, Matthew Mayer didn’t look great, as he was 0-of-4 from three-point range, but his game will come around.

I think Terrence Shannon Jr. is the transfer I am most excited about moving forward. He spent a few seasons with Texas Tech before coming back to Champaign to finish up his college career with the Illini.

Shannon’s numbers were good with the Red Raiders, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting out of him with Illinois. Well, in the exhibition against Quincy, I was pleased with what I saw out of Shannon.

By the game’s end, Shannon would finish with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. He was only 3-of-10 from the field but managed to hit all five free throws. The stat line is really good for Shannon, but his athletic ability is what really jumped off the page to me.

Shannon is extremely quick and has hops that I didn’t know he had. He can get through the lane easily and beat just about anyone on a fastbreak. His abilities and athleticism remind me a lot of D’Angelo Russell.

I think there is a strong chance that Shannon emerges as the go-to guy here in the near future. He has that feel about him. This could easily turn into his team in the next month.

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