Illinois Basketball: 3 things to watch for in the Illini game against Kansas City

Nov 7, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts 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 head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Illinois basketball
Feb 13, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard RJ Melendez (15) dunks the ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Will RJ Melendez knock off the rust

In the previous slide, I touched on Illinois trying to gel and get used to playing with each other in the exhibition game. In game one against Eastern Illinois, I believe the team took a step forward in the process of working together.

There was one Illinois player who struggled, though. RJ Melendez, the phenom who emerged as a solid option for the Illini last season, didn’t have a good first game of the 2022-23 campaign. He would finish the Eastern Illinois game with one point, three blocks, two rebounds, two steals, and two turnovers.

The most shocking thing about Melendez’s start was his shooting. He went 0-of-5 from the field in the first game, and all of those shots were from behind the three-point arc.

Against Kansas City on Friday night, I am going to be watching to see if Melendez can knock off some of the rust that he has clearly carried into the season. I know this kid has a ton of talent, and the fact he can still help the team despite his shooting woes shows you how much he is bought into the program.

But I want to see Melendez start to hit shots. I am going to attribute some of his struggles to the new team around him. Illinois lost six out of the top seven scorers from last season. It is going to take some time to adjust. That is probably what is happening with Melendez.