2. I like the bigger Ben Humrichous
I will be the first to say that I was not a fan of Ben Humrichous last season. We were sold a bill of goods, and he didn’t deliver on expectations.
Humrichous is back for his second year in Champaign, and I fully expected the same out of him. But what I saw against Illinois State seemed different. Humrichous not only put on some muscle, but his style of play seemed a bit different, too.
In 2024-25, Humrichous floated around the perimeter a lot. He would get the ball out beyond NBA three-point range and just jack up a shot. That didn’t happen against Illinois State.
It was nice to see Humrichous play more on the block. He used his physical ability to body defenders, and he backed his man down quite a bit. This led to his nine points on 3-of-7 shooting from the floor.
With Humrichous’ new build, he was also better in the rebounding department. He had seven rebounds in the game, three of which were on the offensive glass.
I am starting to come around on Humrichous. He was in my dog house last season, but his game felt different on Sunday. Give me a more aggressive and physical Humrichous, and he will win me over quickly.