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Illinois Basketball: 3 things to watch for in the Illini game against Penn State

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 6, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood coaches his team during a time out against the Texas Longhorns during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood coaches his team during a time out against the Texas Longhorns during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 2, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Have the reserve freshmen cemented their playing time

I mentioned Skyy Clark and him finding his role on the Illinois basketball team. He was tasked, as a teenage freshman, with starting for the Illini and living up to his top-35 billing in the class of 2022.

Illinois also has a trio of freshmen coming off the bench. This group has been huge for the Orange and Blue this season, and I would go as far as saying Illinois would be near .500 if it wasn’t for the talented freshmen putting up big numbers off the bench.

In the game against Texas, the Illini freshman trio of Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps, and Sencire Harris were sensational. These three freshmen put up 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four blocks against the Longhorns. They were also crucial in the last eight minutes of regulation and in overtime.

I was impressed with how many minutes the three freshmen received as well. Brad Underwood let them loose, and they played a combined 56 minutes for the Illini.

On Saturday against Penn State, I am going to keep an eye out to see if the freshman trio has cemented their playing time. Have they earned enough trust with Underwood that he plays them for similar minutes against the Nittany Lions?

I think these freshmen have earned their minutes. They are sparkplugs off the bench in some form or fashion. Epps is our points guy, Harris is our defensive stud, and Rodgers is our do-it-all guy. They each have a role and play that role flawlessly. I hope they continue to receive a ton of minutes.

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