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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Valencia

By Rees Woodcock

COLUMBUS, OHIO - FEBRUARY 26: Coleman Hawkins #33 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after making a shot in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on February 26, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - FEBRUARY 26: Coleman Hawkins #33 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after making a shot in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on February 26, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 13: A detailed view of an Illinois Fighting Illini players uniform shorts during the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center on February 13, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

3. Niccolo Moretti is starting to win me over

I am not going to lie, when Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins decided to return, I had produced a projected Illinois lineup and didn’t think Niccolo Moretti would be a contender to start.

Moretti was an unranked recruit from the class of 2023 who is from Italy but played basketball in Australia. There wasn’t much tape on him but the stuff that was on him looked solid. I thought it would take a while for him to get acclimated to the college game and the team.

In the projected Illini lineup, I had Moretti as the third option at the No. 1 guard spot. I thought he was just going to be a depth piece for Illinois. I was wrong.

Moretti is starting to win me over quickly. I have to take the Valencia game with a grain of salt considering it was just an exhibition and Illinois was overpowering, but Moretti looked great in the game.

In 17 minutes of action, Moretti would finish with five points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. He shot 2-of-6 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range. Moretti handles the ball well, commands the offense, and his ability to find his teammates is impressive.

Moretti had an alley-oop pass to Shannon during the game. He honestly gives me Ricky Rubio vibes. I think he has an offensive game as well, which is a bit of a surprise.

From what I have seen thus far, Moretti is definitely a player who should get decent minutes this season. He is technically a freshman, but he plays like he is a junior or senior. If he continues to play like this, I am going to start campaigning for him to start at the No. 1 guard spot.

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