Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Rutgers

2. It’s a double-edged sword with Marcus Domask

There is always one player every season that I am hot and cold on. That player in the last half-decade was Da’Monte Williams. This season, I think that player is Marcus Domask.

Entering the game against Rutgers, Domask was struggling offensively. Excluding the Marquette game, Domask was shooting just 32.4% from the field and 16.7% from three-point range. Illinois needed more out of him on the offensive end of the court.

Illinois ended up getting one of the best offensive nights of the season out of Domask on Friday night. He was 6-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-4 from three-point range. Domask finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.

But the flip side of Domask is what frustrates me the most. I love when he is clicking offensively, but if he doesn’t perform well on offense, this kid is a major liability.

Domask had three turnovers against the Scarlet Knights. They were lazy or ill-advised passes that shouldn’t have been made. It also pains me to watch Domask on the defensive end of the court.

It seems that Domask has trouble keeping up with the speed of the game. Rutgers’ players were flying past him in various sets. He was burnt numerous times by his offensive counterpart, and Domask struggles with the backdoor.

I want to love Domask’s game because he does look good shooting the ball, but there are so many issues I have with him on the court. Maybe he starts to get the speed down more, but if Domask isn’t putting up double-digit points, Illinois will likely struggle with him on the court.