5 frustrating observations from the Illinois basketball loss to Northwestern

3. Ty Rodgers is a dangerous paint player

I think we all know the shortcomings of Ty Rodgers’ game right now. He isn’t going to step out and shoot from three-point range. This makes him more limited as an overall player.

But there are way more good qualities than bad ones when it comes to Rodgers. He is incredible when rebounding the basketball, and his hustle is awesome to watch.

I would argue the best attribute about Rodgers, and it is one that continues to improve, is the ability to get into the paint and finish.

Rodgers showed his paint prowess once again against Northwestern. While he only finished with six points on the night, Rodgers still shot 3-of-7 from the floor. In his last six games, he has shot 19-of-38, 50%, from the field.

I was impressed with Rodgers’ ability to get deep into the paint. There were times when Northwestern would double and triple-team him, but he would figure out where to pass the ball. There were also times Rodgers would fake the pass and figure out how to get the ball up to the basket.

The development of Rodgers in the paint continues every game. He is not only developing his scoring ability, but I also believe he is developing his processing. Rodgers is much better at deciding where the ball is going. He is someone fans should keep an eye on for the rest of the season. Watch this kid develop his game.