4. Illinois is a dangerous team in the paint
When I say Illinois is a dangerous team in the paint, many people probably assume I am talking about our frontcourt.
Yes, Illinois has some good frontcourt talent. Dain Dainja had a great night off the bench. I love what Coleman Hawkins can do as well. He finished the Kansas City game with six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 3-of-7 from the field.
Those two big men are going to be great for the Illini this season, but I am not just talking about Illinois’ size making us a dangerous team in the paint. I am talking about being a great paint team as a unit.
Illinois has the guard and wing talent to be able to penetrate the opposing team’s defense and get into the lane. I mentioned that Jayden Epps sparked Illinois with a couple of big three-point shots midway through the first half, but I believe our ability to drive the ball helped extend the lead in the game.
Terrence Shannon Jr. didn’t have a good game shooting the basketball. He was just 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range. But when he didn’t settle for a three-point shot, he was sensational. Shannon can get into the lane and finish at the rim well. I would argue that is the best part about his game. He is also able to draw contact with his big body. This enables him to get to the free throw line. He was 5-of-7 from the charity stripe against the Roos.
Illinois has a plethora of players who can do the same thing that Shannon does as well. When things start going south from beyond the arc, the Illini can fall back on a great paint presence. Just imagine if both things start clicking. This team will be dangerous.