Illinois basketball players bringing the six-pack to the party

After a great run to the Elite 8, the Illinois basketball team has every right to celebrate a great season.

Getting deep into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament is an accomplishment for any program. The Illini hadn’t managed to get that far in nearly 20 years, as 2005 was the last time a spot in the Elite 8 was clinched.

So, why not celebrate with a six-pack or two? No, no, no, not that six-pack, although I understand the confusion. I am talking about the Body by Fletch six-pack.

Celebrations could include a party or two with some adult beverages, but the Illinois basketball team threw that debauchery out the window and has focused on a six-pack that will help them get back to the mountain and maybe even get to the mountaintop.

Illinois players have been working hard this offseason. Holdovers and newcomers are joining forces to shape their games on and off the court.

On Wednesday, future starting guard Kylan Boswell and one of the two holdovers from the 2023-24 squad, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn showed what work they have been doing this offseason.

While Brad Underwood and the coaching staff have been developing the program’s talent on the court, Illinois head strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher has been hard at work helping develop players like Boswell and Gibbs-Lawhorn off the court.

Boswell was the first to post pictures of his hard work this offseason. The caption of his social media post read, “Trust the process” with a salute emoji, and he tagged Fletcher.

Just a couple of hours later, Gibbs-Lawhorn came in with a similar post. His social media post read, “AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (body by fletch).” His photos were the most eye-popping, as Gibbs-Lawhorn completely transformed his body.

Kylan Boswell and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn are ready for big seasons with the Illinois basketball program

Before the photos that were posted on Wednesday, I already expected Boswell and Gibbs-Lawhorn to have better seasons than in 2023-24. But I think my expectations have been raised even higher now that I see what work they have been putting in this offseason.

Boswell averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game with Arizona last season. With the transformed body, I could see him getting quicker and bouncier around the rim. This will get Boswell to the hoop more easily and will enable him to convert at the free throw line.

The speed that Boswell is bound to gain will also help in the transition game. Illinois is going to miss a lot of the transition plays that Terrence Shannon Jr. brought to the court, so having Boswell get quicker will surely help make up for that loss.

With Gibbs-Lawhorn, I was expecting him to see a minute’s increase from the 7.1 minutes per game he got as a freshman. This kid is extremely focused and already has a ton of energy. Now that he is in even better shape, I am ready for him to take his game to the next level.

Illinois fans have seen a lot of jumps in production over the years, but at this point, it wouldn’t shock me to see Gibbs-Lawhorn take one of the biggest leaps forward during the 2024-25 season. He only averaged 2.4 points and 0.9 rebounds per game last season. I expect Gibbs-Lawhorn to easily double, if not triple, his production as a sophomore.

The Illinois basketball program is hard at work this offseason. They are poised to reach great heights once again, and maybe this could be the year Champaign gets some national hardware.