5 massive questions for the Illinois basketball team against Morehead State

5. How much of the bench does Brad Underwood use?

It is the NCAA tournament, and that means what happened in the regular season and Big Ten Tournament is thrown out the window. None of that matters right now. This is a new season.

Brad Underwood did an okay job blending the bench and starters during the regular season and Big Ten Tournament. Illinois played nine deep in the Big Ten title game against Wisconsin, and that is a bit surprising for an Underwood-coached team.

Will this happen again now that Illinois is in the NCAA tournament? How much of the bench does Underwood end up using against Morehead State?

Illinois needs to use the bench to win games in the postseason. I believe we have the horses to really give teams problems because we will be fresher and more energetic. Having a solid second rotation will win us a game in the NCAA tournament.

I believe Dain Dainja is going to be used a lot in the NCAA tournament. He will be a menace to Morehead State, as he has the size and athletic ability to give them some serious problems. I am expecting something like 15 minutes out of Dainja against the Eagles.

Justin Harmon and Luke Goode will probably be used roughly the same amount on Thursday. Both can come in and eat minutes and maybe give us 3-7 points in the game. I imagine each player will get something like 10 minutes against Morehead State.

Honestly, that is probably where the bench ends. I can’t see Underwood using Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn or Amani Hansberry. They are good players, but they are just freshmen. Their impact will be in future seasons. I would bet Underwood shortens the bench to just eight players in meaningful minutes against Morehead State.