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Illinois Basketball: 5 Illini players who will outperform expectations

By Rees Woodcock

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 02: Ty Rodgers #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini plays against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on December 02, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 02: Ty Rodgers #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini plays against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on December 02, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ – FEBRUARY 15: The logo of the Illinois Fighting Illini on the uniform shorts during in a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on February 15, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

2. Amani Hansberry

Illinois was able to bring in a talented class of 2023. This class featured the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year in Amani Hansberry.

Winning that prestigious honor should automatically give a player high expectations entering the season. Hansberry won that award while also being a top 60 recruit in the country. So, why is he on this list?

Well, in the Kansas exhibition game, I think expectations were changed a little bit. Hansberry played just two minutes and was 0-of-3 from the field with a foul and a turnover. It was not a good couple of minutes.

In addition to the bad showing against the Jayhawks, there are players like Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja ahead of Hansberry in the lineup this season. That could also play a role in how many minutes Hansberry receives.

Despite the ugly play against Kansas and the talent ahead of Hansberry, I think there is a chance he still has a big year for Illinois. This kid is way too talented and has too much athletic ability to ride the pine for too long.

Hansberry is going to be fed playing time early on in the season. It will be a slow drip. By mid-January, it wouldn’t shock me to see him in a 50-50 timeshare with Dainja for the primary backup role at the No. 5 spot. I think Hansberry’s rebounding ability is arguably the best on the team, and he is going to make an impact on this program. This talented big man is just lying in the weeds right now ready to pounce.

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