Illinois got a big home win on Friday night over Michigan State. Jack Larson breaks down the player grades.
Terrence Shannon Jr.: B+
Terrence Shannon scored 15 of Illinois’ first 19 points, with a streak of 5-8 shooting. After that, he didn’t score again until he knocked down a set of free throws with just 30 seconds left in the game. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and an assist.
After the first ten minutes, people started wondering how many points Shannon would end up with to finish the game. While he didn’t maintain the hot hand, but he set the tone. He also was a defensive stopper with lowest defensive rating on the team for the third game in a row.
Coleman Hawkins: B
Coleman Hawkins had a rough first half from the field, going into the locker room scoreless with two turnovers. He bounced back after the break with nine points and two big offensive rebounds. His put-back late in the game helped to seal the victory. Hawkins competed on glass and had 9 rebounds.
What’s most encouraging about Hawkins is he’s figuring out what he can and can’t do. He had a few hiccups with the ball against MSU, but overall he’s making better decisions. It was also good to see him get a bucket inside on a post-up.
Matthew Mayer: A
With MSU locking up Shannon after his initial outburst of points, Illinois needed other guys to step up offensively. Mayer was that guy, along with big man Dain Dainja. After scoring just five points in the first half, Mayer owned the second half with 14.
While Mayer was in foul trouble throughout the night, he still played the best defense that he’s played all year, racking up six blocks, the most out of any player on Illinois this season. Mayer had one best nights as an Illini. The fact that Underwood had the confidence to run plays for him late in a tight game says a lot.
Dain Dainja: A
Michigan State couldn’t defend Dainja on post ups. He got deep into the post in the second half, called for the ball, then finished with either hand. There were stretches when he carried Illinois and he finished with a team-high 20 points to go along with 7 rebounds and two blocks
One of the most impressive things about Dainja’s game was defending without fouling. He also showed the ability to play for longer stretches without wearing down, logging 32 minutes on the night.
Jayden Epps: B
Jayden Epps made jumpers and missed layups. He’s good at penetrating the defense, but he need to improve at finishing around the rim. Epps finished with seven points on 3-10 shooting, while adding three rebounds and five assists.
The best thing about Epps’ night was the strides he made as a pure point guard. He’ll need to continue to grow in that area with Skyy Clark no longer on the team. He showed more maturity and was stronger with the ball, finishing with zero turnovers.
RJ Melendez: C
RJ Melendez played for just 18 minutes and had three points, two rebounds, and an assist. Going 1-2 shooting, there’s not much to assess from Melendez’s game from his time on the court. He took two trips to the free throw line, going 1-3.
Melendez was charged with two fouls in his 18 minutes. The sophomore didn’t have many opportunities to contribute on offense as Illinois mainly ran through the three transfers on offense. Still, Melendez continued to show improved energy on the court after going through a rough patch early in the season when his effort was questions by Underwood.
Sencire Harris: C
After playing for 11 minutes, Sencire Harris exited the game in the second half after a Spartan fell on his knee. Harris was down on the floor in pain for a little over a minute, but it was later updated that he only has a bruise. Harris didn’t record a single stat besides a missed jumper.
Ty Rodgers: C
Like Sencire Harris, Ty Rodgers played for little time and barely recorded any stats in the box score. In eight minutes, Rodgers had just one defensive rebound and a missed jump shot.
