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

3. Is our second rotation solidified

Let me tell you, I am impressed with the freshmen who came into the Illinois basketball program from the class of 2022.

Skyy Clark is already starting for the Illini at point guard. We also have a trio of freshmen – Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps, Sencire Harris – who are coming off the bench and make up the vast majority of minutes from our reserves.

Illinois had four players who really saw meaningful minutes against Eastern Illinois. The trio of freshmen was joined by big man Dain Dainja as the second rotation for the Illini. Each bench player brings something different to the court as well.

Dainja is our backup big man who can rebound and score efficiently. He finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds against Eastern Illinois.

I love what Sencire Harris can do on the defensive end of the court. He is also a capable scorer when needed. Harris gives me Trent Frazier vibes at times, but he also gives me Luther Head vibes as well.

Ty Rodgers is a 6-foot-6 forward who can literally play the No. 1 through No. 4 positions on the court. Against Eastern Illinois, he led Illinois in assists and was third on the team in rebounds. That is impressive.

Lastly, Jayden Epps has an electricity about him that will rub off on his teammates. His energy is fun to watch, and he is a great all-around player.

These four players are the Illinois bench this season. On Friday night, I am going to be watching to see what Brad Underwood does with the bench. Is he going to continue to give the four bench players big minutes or will he start shifting the minutes more toward the starters? It is hard to get a clear picture of what will happen with minutes until we actually play a quality team.