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

New opportunities arise for one reason or another, and when your number is called, you better be ready. Justin Harmon is ready for the new role on the Illinois basketball team.

I believe Harmon is one of the top Illinois players ready to level up in Big Ten play. Coming into the program, he showed that he could be a big-time scorer, and now he is getting a chance to shine.

Harmon averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with Utah Valley in 2022-23. These are solid numbers, but they didn’t translate when he transferred into the Illinois program.

In year one with the Illini, Harmon has averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. These numbers are skewed because he wasn’t getting a ton of playing time early on. Now, Harmon has been called upon for big minutes, and he has delivered.

Harmon has done an amazing job filling in for some missing minutes on the roster. Over the last two games, he has averaged 19.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He is 13-of-21, 61.9%, from the field and 8-of-12, 66.7%, from three-point range over this two-game stretch as well.

I don’t think these two games are a fluke for Harmon. He is a talented player who can continue to put up big numbers. I believe he is poised to have a big conference season. Illinois is going to need his production, and clearly, he is ready to produce.