Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Ohio State

5. Ty Rodgers played some big minutes

The flow of the game dictates what Brad Underwood does with his rotations. He decided to go with a different starting lineup against Ohio State, and he decided to use Ty Rodgers off the bench a lot.

Rodgers was one of the most talented players coming out of the Illinois class of 2022. He was only behind Skyy Clark in recruiting rankings, so there was a lot expected out of this kid early on.

Throughout his freshman season, Rodgers hasn’t been getting consistent minutes. He had a four-game stretch where he played at least 14 minutes earlier this season, but then followed that up by getting two minutes in the following game.

Coming into the Ohio State game, Rodgers had failed to hit 10 minutes in two out of the prior three games. But, on Tuesday night, he was called upon for some big minutes against the Buckeyes.

Rodgers would log 15 minutes off the bench and would put up four points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal while going 2-of-3 from the field. He had a nice little touch shot in the lane that impressed me as well.

When next season rolls around, there is definitely going to be a starting spot for Rodgers. He has great energy and is extremely aggressive with the basketball. I also love his defense at times. This kid has a bright future ahead.