Illinois' Brad Underwood Unfazed by Ben Humrichous' Shooting Slump

The Illini coach remains confident in his three-point specialist: "This dude can rip them off."

Dec 6, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) shoots over Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

When Ben Humrichous arrived at Illinois as a graduate transfer from Evansville in the offseason, no one talked up his shooting proficiency louder than Illini coach Brad Underwood.

And that much hasn't changed.

After scorching the nets from deep in his first two games (7-for-13), Humrichous seemed poised to realize every bit of the shooting potential Underwood had pointed to throughout the offseason.

But since then, he has struggled from 3-point range, especially in Illinois' past two games. Against Northwestern and Wisconsin, Humrichous' shooting woes were on full display, as he went 1-for-9 on 3s against the Wildcats last Friday and 1-for-5 against the Badgers on Tuesday.

Humrichous isn't solely a spot-up shoote – he averages 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks – but his other contributions are almost superfluous. He was brought to Champaign for one reason and one reason only:

“We recruited that dude to shoot them," said Underwood. "And I want him to keep shooting them."

Despite his recent play, Humrichous is still shooting a respectable 35.7 percent from 3-point range on the season. If his first few games in an Illini uniform weren't proof enough, he has an entire college career's worth of evidence that backs him up.

RANGE 🎯 @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/EifhSY51mK

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) November 28, 2024

At Evansville last season, Humrichous shot 41.4 percent from 3 (the fourth-highest clip in the Missouri Valley Conference) on a heavy dose of 5.3 attempts per game.

In two seasons before arriving in Evansville, he played at NAIA Huntington University, where he shot 36.8 percent from deep on 4.8 3-point attempts per game.

Whether it’s Humrichous' previous track record, his early-season performance, what goes on behind the closed doors of practice or a combination of all three, to say he still has the confidence of his coach would be a massive understatement.

“Ran the first play of the game for him and ran the first play of the second half for him,” Underwood said after the Wisconsin win. "And that’s how much I believe in him."

As for Humrichous finding his rhythm again, it appears to be a question of not if but when.

“It’s coming – where there’s going to be seven, eight, nine in a row,” Underwood said. "It’s coming. This dude is an elite shooter. This dude can rip them off.”

And when that time does come, when Humrichous gets himself consistently dialed in from distance, the Illini become an even scarier matchup in the Big Ten and – and beyond.

For Illinois' sake, the sooner that time comes, the better. Specifically, Saturday – when No. 1 Tennessee visits Champaign – would be a solid ETA.

Going against a stingy defense coached up by defensive guru Rick Barnes – the Vols are currently holding opponents to 57.2 points per game (No. 3 in the nation) – the Illini will need strong shooting not only from Humrichous but all around to take down the nation’s top-ranked squad.

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