5. It might be time to make a lineup change
I know we are just 10 games into the 2024-25 season, but Illinois basketball needs a jolt and there is a player who could use a seat on the bench.
It is painful to say it, but it is time for Ben Humrichous to be replaced in the starting lineup. This isn’t the way Brad Underwood thought things would go, but Humrichous has been too much of a liability in the starting lineup.
There were a couple of good plays by Humrichous against Tennessee. He had a nice three-point make, and then he hustled on an offensive rebound and had a big put-back dunk. For positives, that is about it.
Humrichous finished the game against the Vols with five points, one rebound, one assist, and three fouls. He logged 30 minutes of action and shot 2-of-5 from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range.
In his last three contests, Humrichous is a combined 4-of-19 from the field and 3-of-18 from three-point range. If he was giving us 10 rebounds per game or contributing in a big way in another department, then maybe I would be okay with him starting, but that isn’t the case at all.
Honestly, I think it is time for Will Riley to start. He hasn’t been playing well, but maybe a spot in the starting lineup would give him some confidence and he would gel better with the starters. He would also be a bigger threat on both ends of the court for the Illini.
Underwood needs to change something right now, and I think Humrichous is the key change. He has been a weak spot for Illinois, and we have a nice weapon on the bench.