5. One day, Kylan Boswell will find his groove
Illinois had quite a few prized additions this offseason. The freshmen that came into the program have helped greatly. I also liked some of the talented transfers who gave this program a boost.
I thought Kylan Boswell was a massive addition. He entered the Illini after spending two seasons with Arizona. With the Wildcats, Boswell shot 41.1% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range. Those are pretty good numbers, but that hasn’t happened with Illinois.
The struggles have been real for Boswell since coming back home to Champaign. He hasn’t been able to find his groove, and in each game, he is clearly trying to find his stroke.
In the game against Maryland Eastern Shore, Boswell forced up quite a few shots to see if he could get going offensively. He continued to struggle, though. He had 13 points against the Hawks, but Boswell was only 4-of-12 from the field and 2-of-9 from three-point range.
Those numbers are about par for the course this season for Boswell. He is currently averaging 9.0 points per game and is shooting a career-low 34.9% from the field and 23.1% from three-point range.
I know Boswell is a good player. He is someone who can help this team greatly. But with so many big personalities and players who need the ball in their hands, Boswell is still in the adjustment phase of being a part of this program.
At this point, it is a matter of when and not if Boswell will find his groove. Once he does, the college basketball world better watch out.