3. Inconsistent play is killing Illinois
When Illinois is playing B or better basketball, we are a fun team to watch. This program is nearly unstoppable when that happens, but the bad part about all of this is that it doesn’t happen often anymore.
I am getting tired of the inconsistent basketball by the team and by certain players. As a team, the inconsistency stems from getting lazy. We start getting the rock inside and using our talented big men to get buckets around the hoop. The switch then flips, and Illinois starts chucking up three-pointers and lets teams back in the game.
At the end of the day, when it comes to inconsistent play with the team, I believe Brad Underwood has something to do with it. He always wants quick shots and to shoot as many three-pointers as possible. That is good when you have good shooters, but Illinois does not have good shooters. Adjustments need to be made, and he needs to stop being so stubborn.
When it comes to player inconsistency, I think it is time to stop trying to make Ben Humrichous work. Sometimes you recruit a player from a lower level, and he ends up being not as good as advertised. This could be that at the higher level, players are more athletic and more physical, and that has been an issue for Humrichous. I would also like for him to drive and post up a little more, but that doesn’t happen nearly enough.
In the game against Michigan State, Humrichous was arguably worse than Kasparas Jakucionis. He finished the night with six points, six rebounds, one assist, one block, one turnover, and one foul. He also shot 3-of-10 from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range. Six points in 31 minutes of action, when you are supposed to be Illinois’ three-point specialist, are brutal numbers.
Humrichous isn’t the only frustratingly inconsistent player. Kylan Boswell, I am looking at you. He has had two double-digit scoring games in the last six contests. Over the last three games, Boswell is 2-of-9 from the field and has a total of 15 points in 86 minutes of action. We need more from one of the most experienced players on the court.