Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Southern

4. I am impressed with Amani Hansberry’s effort

I think we all got to see where Brad Underwood’s head is at against Marquette in regards to rotations. Predictably, he shortened the rotations and played the guys with the most experience.

My hope is that Underwood sees the freshmen have a lot to provide to the Illinois basketball lineup. They can contribute to areas more than just stat stuffing. There are intangibles, like energy, that these freshmen bring to the table.

So far this season, I have been extremely impressed with all of the freshmen, especially Amani Hansberry. He is a big man who is coming into a program that is full of talented big men. But, to me, Hansberry has stood out.

Against Southern, Hansberry played extended minutes and they were meaningful minutes. He was subbed in at the 13:20 mark in the first half when Illinois was up 14-10. This wasn’t a blowout situation.

When Hansberry does see the floor, it is maximum effort all of the time. He is hitting the floor, running the floor, and trying to get every rebound possible. This type of effort is infectious and will only help the Illini win games.

Hansberry finished the game with a season-high 22 minutes and put up eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and had just one turnover. He also hit 4-of-5 from the field. His contributions to the stat line are huge, but what is even bigger is his contributions to the brand. We are tough, gritty, and hungry, and that is the mentality Hansberry has on the court.