Illinois Basketball: 2022-23 preview of Illini guard Jayden Epps

Illinois basketball took some time to warm up against Quincy on Friday, but when they did, the team seemed to click.

The Illini newcomers all started to come together and play well. What really sparked the team was the second rotation of players, mainly led by the freshmen on the team.

While the first player off the bench was Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps wasn’t too far behind. In fact, Epps would end up playing 21 minutes, which is the most out of any bench player on the team. So, it looks like Brad Underwood might have a plan for this superstar guard.

Here is the 2022-23 preview of Illinois basketball guard Jayden Epps.

Past Development

The rise of Epps through the recruiting rankings was quite impressive. He would eventually end the 2022 recruiting rankings as the No. 46 player in the country.

Epps was sensational with Combine Academy in North Carolina. He had some huge games throughout his career, such as the 39-point performance against one of the best teams in the country in Overtime Elite. Epps also had big games like 26 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals against Huntington Prep.

I believe Epps’ time at the high school level has really helped develop his game. He was a great all-around player, and that is why he was listed as a top-50 recruit.

Present Impact

Epps will have a huge impact on the Illinois basketball team this season. I believe he is good enough to be a starter, but we just have too much talent on the roster right now.

I see Epps coming off the bench and being the sparkplug we need to put points on the board. He is a certified bucket-getter, and that is going to be huge for the Illini.

You can tell Epps has the green light to put up a ton of points as well. He was 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range against Quincy. I would imagine he has nights in the regular season when he puts up 20 or more points.

For the season, I have high expectations for Epps. He could get 13-16 minutes in each game. During his time on the court, it wouldn’t shock me to see him average 7.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per contest. I love what Epps is going to bring off the bench.