Men’s basketball: Humrichous, Riley to hit from three
Illinois men’s basketball has extremely bright spots and a few downturns this season. Strong wins over No. 19 Arkansas and No. 20 Wisconsin, with tough losses to No. 1 Tennessee and a physical Northwestern squad, have shown different sides of Illinois.
Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis has remained a constant positive throughout the season, setting multiple program records and scoring 20-plus points in six straight games. Junior guards Tre White and Kylan Boswell and sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic have also been relatively solid and have rebounded well from games in which they performed below expectations.
However, two players have regressed lately and must improve for Illinois to meet its goals: graduate student forward Ben Humrichous and freshman forward Will Riley.
Humrichous and Riley, both touted as elite shooters, have struggled recently. The former started the season with four straight double-figure scoring performances, shooting just over 46% from three. However, Humrichous has entered a shooting slump. He’s only 5-22 from deep since December, including a 1-9 performance at Northwestern.
Riley also can’t find the bottom of the basket. The Canadian has shot an abysmal 1-18 from three since December after shooting a blistering 18-32 from deep in November.
With Humrichous being a relatively weaker defender and a young Riley not being as physical as other players, Illini fans had hoped they would shoot the lights out. In fact, that’s what they were brought in to do. Riley was one of the best multilevel scorers in high school, and Humrichous shot 41.4% from deep at Evansville last season.
As the New Year begins and Big Ten play really gets underway, Riley and Humrichous need to start making shots. Competitive losses in December don’t affect a resume too much, but they could add up and hurt Illinois as it tries to win the conference and make a run in the NCAA tournament.
Illinois is undoubtedly one of the most talented teams in the country, but that talent needs to start translating into statistical results. The team’s matchup against Chicago State on Dec. 29 should be a confidence booster for Riley and Humrichous and get them on track heading into the New Year.
Wrestling: Improvement from 125-pounders
Illinois wrestling has little to complain about this season. With a 6-0 record and a No. 11 national ranking, the team is off to a scorching hot start. But as we head into the New Year, there’s always room for improvement.
One area that could benefit from a New Year’s resolution is the 125-pound class, which has yet to secure a dual win. As Illinois enters a tough stretch to close the year, addressing this weight class will be key for future success.
The Illinois 125-pound class has seen a mix of wrestlers this season, including graduate transfer Ramazan Attasauov, junior Caelan Riley and freshman Joey Ruzic. Riley has been the main starter, competing in five out of six duals, while Attasauov started the other match.
Unfortunately, neither has succeeded, combining for a 0-6 record so far. Despite being a freshman, Ruzic has shown promise with a 6-3 overall record but has not wrestled in a dual. Given the struggles of Riley and Attasauov, Ruzic could be a potential option to shake things up.
Alternatively, more time could be given to more experienced Attasauov, who earned 36 wins during his four years at Iowa State, or continue to trust Riley. He has been with Illinois for three years and has deep ties to the coaching staff, such as his father, who served as an assistant coach to head coach Mike Poeta in high school, and Poeta, who also coached Riley at his youth club.
As Illinois heads into a tough stretch to close the season, things will get much more challenging. All of its remaining opponents are ranked in the top 30, and the 125-pound class is loaded with talent.
Five of its last seven matches include senior Matt Ramos, No. 1 in the nation, and No. 29 Purdue will visit Champaign on Feb. 1. While Illinois has cruised through the season so far, winning by an average of more than 23 points, the tough stretch ahead makes it clear — the 125-pound class needs to step up. As the New Year begins, a little resolution in this weight class could go a long way in keeping the momentum going.
Women’s basketball: Better three-point shooting
Illinois women’s basketball is off to a good start. The Illini opened the season with five straight wins, and their only losses came against top-ranked teams. There’s always room for improvement, though, and there’s no better time to set goals than the New Year. One thing that could make the Illini an elite team is better three-point shooting.
While Illinois has been solid from downtown, it hasn’t had the consistency you would expect from a team featuring multiple top three-point shooters. They’ve been up and down while shooting well in some games and poorly in others. If they can change that into shooting well in most games, the Illini could rise to the top of the rankings quickly.
Players like fifth-year guards Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook and sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan make this resolution much more realistic. They are excellent shooters and have the skill to knock down the toughest three-pointers. If the Illini can find that consistency, they will leave the rest of the Big Ten wishing they worked harder on their own New Year’s resolutions.
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