2. Is there an answer for Keisei Tominaga?
I think most people are going to read this headline and immediately say, no. And that would be the obvious answer. Keisei Tominaga is an incredible talent on the offensive end of the court.
You don’t get a nickname like the Japanese Steph Curry for no reason. Tominaga can hit shots from anywhere on the court, and his ability to do so while not squared up to the basket or off balance is what makes him truly special.
But is there actually an answer for Tominaga? Can Illinois at least slow down the talented sharpshooter for one more game?
Watching Tominaga against Indiana on Friday night was crazy. This kid was putting up 23 points while hitting some insane shots. There was one three-pointer where the ball swung to him on the right wing, and he just chucked it up as he was falling sideways. The ball went in the bucket.
The scary part about Tominaga is the fact he went off against Illinois in the lone game the two teams met this season. Tominaga had 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range. He was unstoppable.
Illinois gave up 84 points to Nebraska in that game. This was a stretch where Illinois was allowing opponents to do whatever they wanted. As of late, we are playing better defense, though. Getting through screens and not being lazy on switches is going to be crucial in preventing Tominaga from going off on Saturday.