Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Ottawa

4. First rotation for the Illini was interesting

With the starters being Ty Rodgers, Terrence Shannon Jr., Luke Goode, Marcus Domask, and Coleman Hawkins, I had to adjust who I thought would come off the bench in the first rotation.

There ended up being three players that came off the bench in the first subs of the night. I always assumed Niccolo Moretti would be a first-rotation guy. He ended up being one of the three players who were initially subbed in. Moretti is a talented point guard who has a bright future.

I thought Dain Dainja was going to start, but he didn’t get the nod. That immediately makes him a candidate to come off the bench in the first rotation, which he ended up doing. Dainja is a good big-man enforcer.

The third player off the bench was a surprise. I thought Quincy Guerrier, the fifth-year transfer, was going to be the third player for the Illini. That didn’t end up being the case, though. It was the other fifth-year transfer, Justin Harmon. He is a high-energy guard who can run the court well.

So, the first rotation of the night was Moretti, Dainja, and Harmon. Guerrier came in the game a few minutes later, though. Look for these four players to be the main first-rotation guys in the future. Illinois has tremendous depth, and Brad Underwood is going to use this to his advantage.