No need to sugar coat it: Illinois basketball has barely risen above watchable this season. Even in games where the team is in it, or winning, there’s a lack of urgency to the team, as if winning is desirable but not like the only thing. At times its like the Illini are playing for a participation medal.
Letting Western Carolina tie the game with 7:58 before finally pulling away for an 80-68 win, is proof of the listless play these limpin’ Illini (4-5) have put forward. This season is difficult enough, with the lack of sunlight and dreary rain and fog contributing to seasonal affective disorder, so let’s pick out some positives from this game and be optimistic for a little while.
- Michael Finke went on an absolute tear in this game, scoring 6 of the team’s first 9 en route to a career-high (okay, it’s a career of only 9 games, but whatever) of 24 points. Finke also grabbed 6 rebounds and played a good defensive game, which was necessary after recent defensive meltdowns. With 31 minutes on the floor Saturday, Finke was in the game more than everyone except Kendrick Nunn (36 minutes). This is all important because, obviously, developing Finke into a top-quality post player is in the team’s best interest, but also because Finke succeeding and really getting every chance to succeed could be pivotal in luring his younger brother, Tim, to the university. Tim is a five-star recruit, and he’s probably Illinois’s best chance at landing a five-star in the near future; so, yeah, this is good.
- Kendrick Nunn started on the bench because of John Groce’s assessment of his defensive performance against Notre Dame. He very quickly showed that Illinois needs him on the floor, scoring 27. Since coming back early from injury, Nunn has added a depth to Illinois’s game that has been revelatory. It’s a real shame other injuries have robbed him of the supporting staff that could make him a top player in the conference. No doubt, he was the man for the Illini, playing 36 minutes, which was much needed and leads me to my next point.
- Malcolm Hill’s last five games: 30, 38, 33, 39, and 38. That’s minutes. Out of 200 minutes he played a total of 178. He is a leader, no question, but that is way too much to ask of him this early in the season. He needs his time on the bench, watching his teammates get minutes and being a cheerleader. Against Western Carolina, he played 27. He didn’t have to be Mr. Everything All the Time for Illinois and could recharge his batteries some. Having Nunn take the reins allows Hill to relax and hopefully will spread defenses out in future games.
Life isn’t all roses for the Illini, but a win is a win and there’s no reason dwelling on the negative (at least not too much). So take these positives and try to keep your mind right until Illinois plays Yale on Wednesday.
Finke image by USA Today.