Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Wisconsin

4. Terrence Shannon Jr. went back to basics

Earlier in this article, I talked about Coleman Hawkins just doing what he does best, which was to shoot the basketball. Terrence Shannon Jr. was similar to Hawkins on Saturday, but I think Shannon just got the basics of the game.

Shannon has had a ton of praise for being a potential NBA Draft pick much like Hawkins. But, over the past month or so, Shannon’s game has really taken a turn for the worse. I believe he was trying to do too much for the Illini, and he couldn’t focus on his game.

With Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris taking over a bigger leadership role, this allowed Shannon to just go and ball out. He could be free to play his offensive game. This resulted in Shannon having a big game against Wisconsin.

Shannon would end the day with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. The great part about his game is the fact he was only 1-of-2 from three-point range. Shannon didn’t settle for off-balance three-point shots. He was aggressive with the basketball. He was able to get to the free throw line 12 times and converted nine shots.

No matter how hard he tries, Shannon is not a pure three-point shooter. He can light it up at times, but that doesn’t feel like his natural game. He is more of a Deron Williams than a Steph Curry. Deron was physical and could get to the hoop. He was able to draw fouls and get to the charity strip as well. If Shannon can continue this style of play for the rest of the season, then Illinois should be able to win a lot of games.