5 huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over Florida State

5. The Illini have so many weapons

There was a consistent thought I had throughout the Illinois game on Thursday night. The thought was, this Illinois basketball team has so much talent and depth. The weapons are plentiful.

Having a solid starting lineup was a given. Illinois returned all but one starter from last season. Just that alone will give us a leg up on the competition, as we have more chemistry than the other team.

On top of that, you can go down the roster and it is jaw-dropping how talented Illinois is this season. The starters are great. Illinois’ backcourt of Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook had their worst game of the season, but when they break out, we will be one of the best teams in the nation. Kendall Bostic does her usual double-double thing. Adalia McKenzie had a huge game against the Seminoles. Brynn Shoup-Hill might be the most versatile player on the team.

In a game against the No. 19 team in the country, Illinois’ tied-leading scorer was Gretchen Dolan off the bench. Transfer Jasmine Brown-Hagger didn’t have a good game, but she played 10 minutes, so Shauna Green clearly trusts her.

And then we have Berry Wallace. She only saw three minutes of action. Wallace was the prized five-star recruit for the Illini, and she failed to hit five minutes. Of course, her time on the court will grow rapidly, but that is how much talent Illinois has on this roster. From top to bottom, we can match up with nearly anyone in the nation. Illinois proved that against Florida State.