Illinois Basketball: Efficiency of Jayden Epps has been huge for the Illini

This offseason was incredibly fruitful for Brad Underwood and the Illinois basketball program.

After losing nearly the entire team to graduation, the professional ranks, and transfer, the Illini were able to reload the roster with a few returnees, incoming transfers, and freshmen from the high school ranks.

A lot of the limelight went to some of the top transfers and freshmen. Landing Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer highlighted the transfer market for the Illini, and Skyy Clark and Ty Rodgers were the golden jewels of the freshman class.

But a player who didn’t get enough of the shine was Jayden Epps. I am not saying people completely overlooked Epps, but I am saying most people were looking at Illinois’ shiny new toys rather than focusing on the depth of the class of 2022.

Coming out of Combine Academy, Epps was only highly rated by one recruiting service. 247Sports had Epps as the No. 49 player in the class of 2022. Rivals and ESPN both thought of the guard as a borderline top 100 recruit with Rivals pegging him at No. 90 and ESPN had him at No. 87.

At this point in the proceedings, I think it is pretty evident that 247Sports’ evaluation of Epps is much more accurate than Rivals and ESPN. The young guard has been sensational for the Illini and continues to impress me in each game he suits up.

Jayden Epps has been extremely efficient for the Illinois basketball team.

Through the first five games of the season, the main focus with the Illini has been on Shannon. He currently leads the team in scoring with 21.2 points per game, and he had a big night against No. 8 UCLA where he lifted the team to victory with a 29-point performance.

While you are in awe of Shannon and what he has been able to do, I ask you to please take a look at Epps and his numbers through five games as a freshman.

Just the energy and athletic ability Epps brings to the court each time he checks into the game is impressive enough. He can fly around and make plays just purely based on that great athletic ability and his IQ for the game of basketball. But let’s dive a little bit into the numbers.

Through five games this season, Epps is averaging 10.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. He is also hitting 45.5% of his shots, 37.5% of his three-pointers, and 83.3% of his free throws. All of these are really good numbers, especially for someone coming off the bench.

Epps is in the top five on the team in points, assists, and steals. While all of these numbers are great, I think the most impressive number for Epps is the fact that, through five games, he only has two turnovers. That isn’t a typo. This kid has played a total of 122 minutes and only has two turnovers.

As a freshman, I think most people would understand Epps having numerous turnovers. College basketball has bigger, faster, and stronger players than at the high school level. The game itself is also quicker. But Epps was prepared for this change.

When you break down Epps’ numbers, he currently sits with a 4.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. This is, by far, the best on the team. With his 4.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, Epps currently ranks No. 80 in the nation, and he isn’t even a starter yet. Just think about that for a second. There are 1,815 players who start on 363 teams in DI basketball. That doesn’t even count the bench players. Epps ranks No. 80 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Epps averages 24.4 minutes per game through his first five games as a freshman. Not only is he putting up starter stats, but he is one of the most efficient players in the country. This kid has such a bright future, and we are only seeing the beginning of this special career. Let’s sit back and enjoy what we are watching.