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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Eastern Illinois

By Rees Woodcock

Nov 7, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Dain Dainja (42) dunks the ball during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Dain Dainja (42) dunks the ball during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard RJ Melendez (15) reacts against the Houston Cougars in the second half during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard RJ Melendez (15) reacts against the Houston Cougars in the second half during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

3. RJ Melendez still effective despite rough shooting

Sometimes players are rusty and just have a bad start to a season. That seems to be the case with potential second-round NBA Draft pick, RJ Melendez.

Melendez came into the 2022-23 campaign with a lot of hype. He was in an NBA mock draft for 2023. He was coming off a season where he shot 60% from three-point range. And what we saw out of him during the NCAA tournament last season was exciting.

On Monday night, Melendez struggled against Eastern Illinois, though. He would finish the game with one point on 0-of-5 shooting from the field, all of which were three-point shots. Getting one point out of Melendez in 20 minutes of action is not ideal.

But, even with Melendez struggling with scoring, he is still an effective player. He can do everything on the basketball court.

Melendez would end up with three blocks, which led the team, and he had two steals on the night, which was only second to Sencire Harris. He is a prime example of a team player and someone you have to have on the court no matter what is going on with his shooting.

I love the hustle of Melendez as well. He is still running the court. He goes for rebounds and plays tremendous defense. There are going to be nights where Melendez puts up 20 points and shoots the ball well, but when he does have an off night, he still contributes to the team. That is extremely important moving forward.

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