The first massive test of the season is hours away for the Illinois basketball program.
No. 11 Texas Tech is in town, and they are looking for a ranked road victory. The Illini need to show the world that we can compete with the best of the best, though.
Illinois isn’t fully healthy, but we have looked great despite missing multiple players in the first two games of the season. On Tuesday night, we will see where this program is at this point in the season. There are a few questions I have for the Orange and Blue, too.
Here are three key questions for the Illinois basketball team vs Texas Tech
1. How short does Brad Underwood make the lineup?
In the first couple of games of the season, Underwood had the luxury of playing anyone he wanted. The two teams we went up against were bad, and Illinois could go deep on their bench to get guys experience.
With that being said, how short does Underwood end up making the lineup? We aren’t going to play the bottom of the roster, but where is the line drawn?
First off, Tomislav Ivisic and Brandon Lee are both out. That is one starter and one rotational piece. Mihailo Petrovic will be in uniform, so he is available but doubtful to get a ton of playing time.
When you look at the bench, Underwood won’t play AJ Redd and Blake Fagbemi. I highly doubt Jason Jakstys gets much time, unless we need some size, and Texas Tech is eating us up inside. I think Underwood goes seven deep with confidence, and then it would be eight if Petrovic can give us some minutes. That isn’t bad considering we have two out with injuries.
2. Does Andrej Stojakovic eat into Jake Davis’ minutes?
Illinois got a taste of what Andrej Stojakovic could do against Florida Gulf Coast. He hasn’t been practicing much, and this was his first game with the program.
Stojakovic was still able to produce 22 minutes and put up nine points, five rebounds, and three assists. That is production that will be needed greatly against the Red Raiders.
The big question for me is how much does Stojakovic eat into the Jake Davis minutes? I think it is going to be substantial moving forward.
In my opinion, there is a strong chance that Stojakovic starts against Texas Tech. He is going to eventually start for the Illini, but why wait at this point? Give Stojakovic the job and let him cook in the Illinois offense.
Davis was a great fill-in for Stojakovic. I loved what he brought Illinois. But at the end of the day, he is a rotational player. He will be a spark plug off the bench and a sniper for the Illini from the corner. I am curious if that transition starts against Texas Tech.
3. Can the Illinois freshmen keep the same energy?
Through the first two games, the Illinois freshmen have given so much to this program. They looked great in both games, but the real season starts on Tuesday night.
David Mirkovic has had one of the best starts for an Illini freshman in my lifetime. He has looked great on both ends of the court, notching a double-double in his first two contests.
I love what Keaton Wagler has brought to the Illinois backcourt, too. He gets into the lane and causes chaos. This kid has ice in his veins from three-point range, and his confidence is through the roof.
Can the freshmen keep it up, though? That is the big question I have for the game against Texas Tech. We knew they would look good against bad teams, but can they perform when the lights are the brightest? That is something I am keeping an eye on.