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5 massive observations from the Illinois basketball win over SIU-Edwardsville

It was a big night for the Illinois basketball team, as SIU-Edwardsville was the victim of a massive Illini attack on both sides of the court.

By Rees Woodcock

Nov 8, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives against SIU Edwardsville Cougars guard Brian Taylor II (11) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives against SIU Edwardsville Cougars guard Brian Taylor II (11) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
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4. The Illini can almost go with two full rotations

It seems to be pretty rare that this early in the season Illinois is already settling into rotations. Usually, Brad Underwood is figuring things out with a player or two. That isn’t happening, though.

Illinois seems to already be settled into the rotations for the season. The crazy part about this program is the fact that not only do we have one solid starting rotation, but the Illini can almost go with a full second rotation and still not miss a beat.

I believe the Illini starters for the rest of the season are going to be Kasparas Jakucionis, Kylan Boswell, Tre White, Ben Humrichous, and Tomislav Ivisic. That is an incredibly talented starting five that is going to go deep in the NCAA tournament.

The backups can hold their own, though. The second rotation seems to be pretty set in stone. I think the second rotation is going to be Will Riley, Morez Johnson Jr., Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, and Carey Booth moving forward.

There are only two things I could see changing to those rotations. I could potentially see Will Riley working his way into the starting lineup. He is an insane weapon off the bench, though. Underwood probably doesn’t want to lose that.

The other adjustment I could see being made is Jake Davis maybe getting more involved. He was a great get from Mercer, and if he starts earning more minutes, Illinois could go five-deep off the bench.

But just think about that second rotation for a second. Riley is a projected first-round NBA Draft pick. He is a 6-foot-8 forward who can shoot from three-point range and rebound well. Johnson is also in that second rotation. He was the Illinois Mr. Basketball last season. Johnson is the best rebounder on the team.

I love what Illinois has with Booth. He isn’t polished by any means, but he is extremely athletic and has a nice flow to his game. His athletic ability is great on defense. And then you have Gibbs-Lawhorn, the only player who got minutes last season for the Illini. He has burst onto the scene and has so much energy and bounce.

Illinois’ second rotation could compete in the Big Ten. They could be one of the best teams in the league without question. That is the second wave of talent coming into the game. Illinois is poised for a big year with that much talent.

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