Illinois Basketball: 5 big questions for the Illini against Oakland

Illinois basketball made it through game one unscathed, as we took down in-state foe, Eastern Illinois.

Now the Illini are gearing back up for a game on Friday night against Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies gave Ohio State a scare this week, only losing by six points. So, this isn’t a cakewalk for the Orange and Blue.

Entering the game against Oakland, there are some big questions that I want answered.

Here are five big questions for the Illinois basketball team against Oakland

1. Does Coleman Hawkins wake up?

I am pretty certain that Coleman Hawkins is a great player. This kid can do everything on the basketball court, and he continues to try to improve his game each and every day.

But I think he would even admit, game one wasn’t great. Hawkins ended the Eastern Illinois win with one point, five rebounds, two assists, and one block. He also had two turnovers on 0-of-2 shooting from the floor. Both of those attempts were three-pointers.

The very first shot for the Illinois basketball team this season was from Hawkins. It ended up being a bricked three-pointer that didn’t even hit the rim. That is how things started for this talented stretch No. 5.

We all know Hawkins is a better player than the stat line from the Eastern Illinois game. My big question is; will Hawkins wake up against Oakland?

Despite winning 13 games last season, the Golden Grizzlies opened the 2023-24 campaign up with a six-point loss at Ohio State. There is talent in this program, so we are going to need Hawkins on his game.

It honestly seemed like Hawkins was forcing the game against the Panthers. He wasn’t letting the game come to him. I believe if he just continues to move and rotates the ball around the court, the opportunities to score will come more easily. Hawkins is a talented basketball player, and one game doesn’t define him. Illinois will need him to wake up on Friday night, though.