3 Big Questions Ahead of Illinois Basketball vs. SIU-Edwardsville

A few thoughts to ponder as the Illini move on from their opener and ready for Game 2

Nov 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) gets between Eastern Illinois Panthers forward Sekou Kalle (22) and guard Nakyel Shelton (3) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

In its first test of the season, Illinois passed with flying colors, defeating Eastern Illinois 112-67 behind a barrage of three-pointers and balanced scoring, as five Illini players reached double figures.

Highlights from Illinois' 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois.#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/Qes5MbaWYt

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 5, 2024

On Friday, Illinois welcomes SIU-Edwardsville to the State Farm Center (7 p.m. CT) and an opportunity to move to 2-0. 

Here are three questions heading into the matchup:

Who might catch fire?

In the opener, it was freshman forward Will Riley exploding for 31 in his college debut. Not far behind was sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who added 21. With both players coming off the bench – for now ,anyway – it’s unlikely that either will consistently lead the team in scoring.

Who might that leave to step forward?

Maybe it's forward Ben Humrichous, who quietly put up 14 in his Illini debut and was frequently mentioned by coach Brad Underwood in the offseason as a potential team scoring leader. Or perhaps it will be big man Tomislav Ivisic, who scored 14 against the Panthers despite having an off night from the perimeter. For a team that appears to have multiple players who can go off on any given night, no one can yet be counted out.

Can the Illini force some turnovers?

In six of seven previous seasons with Underwood at the helm, Illinois has forced more than 10 turnovers per game. Against the mid-major Panthers, the Illini were able to force only eight turnovers, which they parlayed into an unimpressive eight points.

For a team with positional size and elite athletes across the board, the Illini should be regularly putting the squeeze on opponents – and turning defense into offense. Some early-season growing pains should be expected in this area, but if steals, blocks and deflections aren't part of the payoff of youthful defensive mistakes, then what's the point of all that length and athleticism?

Even more 3s?

Some observers – especially old-school basketball traditionalists – may think that Illinois putting up 42 threes in its season-opener was overkill.

Underwood is not one of those people.

In fact, in his Thursday press conference, Underwood told the media that “we missed nine open 3s [against Eastern Illinois] that we should’ve taken and we didn’t – we drove it."

Underwood has endlessly raved about the positional size and shooting on this roster, and he clearly expects the Illini to take full advantage of those strengths around the rim – but especially from the perimeter. Don't be surprised if the Illini match, or even surpass, the 42 3-point attempt they put up on Monday against the Cougars.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (Game 2)

10 Key Storylines to Follow for Illinois Basketball's 2024-25 Season

Scouting Illinois' Next Opponent: What to Expect From SIU Edwardsville