Illinois Basketball: 3 players primed to level up in conference play

There are a lot of players on the Illinois roster who have a chance to have a special Big Ten season, but I would argue Ty Rodgers is the most poised to level up in Big Ten play.

Rodgers came into the Illinois basketball program as a high four-star recruit, but his freshman season didn’t land well for the Orange and Blue. He averaged 3.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in year one.

Things have started better for Rodgers as a sophomore, though. He is currently averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He has started to play some of the best basketball of his young career over the past couple of weeks too.

You can see Rodgers’ development this season. He is a much better free throw shooter, going from shooting 38.7% from the charity stripe to currently shooting 68.4% this season. His development is much more than just free throws, though. Rodgers is a better scorer around the rim, and his footwork is solid now that he is more of a ball-handler.

Over the past five games, Rodgers has averaged 5.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. I think he has a chance to take another step forward in his career in the coming weeks and months. The Big Ten better watch out for Rodgers and his ascent to stardom.