Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Missouri

3. Sencire Harris still impresses me

There is so much bad you can take from the game against Missouri. Illinois losing by 22 points is a terrible feeling, and what makes it even worse is the fact the game wasn’t even that close.

But even though the game was ugly, I was still impressed with what I saw from Illini freshman, Sencire Harris.

Harris seems to impress me every time he steps onto the court. He is the only defense the Illini had on Thursday night, and his drive for the game of basketball makes me want to change his name to Sencire Hustle.

When the final horn blew, Harris would end up playing 18 minutes and finishing with eight points, five rebounds, one steal, and one assist. He didn’t have a single turnover on the night either.

While Harris’ defense is always special, the one little flaw in his game was his lack of offensive production. Against Missouri, we got to see his full repertoire of skills, as he started to shoot the ball. He was 3-of-4 from the field and made his only three-point attempt.

If Illinois can get Harris in the groove offensively, then I think we have an extremely dangerous player moving forward. He should probably see more time on the court considering I think he hustles more than anyone, and Illinois instantly becomes better when he is in the game. The future is so bright with Harris.