2. That was an elite Quincy Guerrier
The work the Illinois coaching staff did in the offseason is already paying off two games into the season. Some of the newcomers to the program have been big-time contributors.
Illinois needed players to step up on Friday night against Oakland. The player who had the best game of the night was graduate transfer, Quincy Guerrier.
The once-four-star recruit took five years to get here, but Guerrier is finally with the Illini. His decision to come to Champaign has already proved fruitful, as the talented dual-threat forward helped Illinois avoid a disastrous upset at the hands of the Golden Grizzlies.
Guerrier finished the Oakland game with 13 points, 10 rebounds, one block, and one assist. He was 5-of-9 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range. Guerrier also converted 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
I loved what I saw out of Guerrier, especially on the block and in the paint. He was aggressive all night long, and his athletic ability helped him notch his double-double with 10 rebounds.
Illinois needed someone like Guerrier in the paint. He is a rebounding machine, and this enables Illinois to have more chances at scoring the basketball.
At 6-foot-8, I think Guerrier is also going to be a mismatch for a lot of teams. He is tough to guard because of his size, and he has the athletic ability to keep up with quick and small wings. Moving forward, I think Guerrier is going to be a huge asset to this program. He is someone we can go to when the game is on the line. This was a great get for Underwood this past offseason.