5 big questions for the Illinois basketball team against Duquesne

5. How long will it take Brad Underwood to get a feel of the game?

In the five huge observations from the Morehead State win, I touched on how proud I was of Brad Underwood and his ability to adapt and adjust in the game.

Illinois clearly had two starters struggling from the jump, and instead of Underwood burying his head in the sand and riding with those starters, he had a quick trigger finger and put in the reserves. This helped propel Illinois to the big win.

So, will this happen again on Saturday? How long will it take Underwood to get a feel of the game?

Ty Rodgers and Quincy Guerrier had arguably the worst games of their careers. They contributed zero points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, one steal, and three turnovers against Morehead State.

Thankfully, Underwood was quick in replacing them on the floor. They played a combined 25 minutes, which is only two minutes more than Dain Dainja played in the game.

The flow of the game will hopefully dictate what Underwood does. If Rodgers or Guerrier or both start slowly again against Duquesne, then I would think Underwood will replace them quickly so we can surge ahead and get a lead.

Underwood’s ability to get a feel for the game is crucial. If he can get that feel early on, then we might be able to cruise to another double-digit win.