CHAMPAGNE – The first preseason test for Illinois basketball wasn’t too difficult, but the experienced portion of the new-look Illini roster certainly passed the eye test. Nine Illinois players scored at least eight points and dominated Ottawa 116-65 in an exhibition at State Farm Center on Friday.
Terrence Shannon led seven Illinois players in double figures with 18 points in 15 minutes on 6-for-9 shooting. Coleman Hawkins added 10 points (4-5 FG), five rebounds and five steals in 16 minutes Luke Goode scored 11 points and made 3 of 10 from three.
The Illini shot 58% from the field, including 14 of 42 (33.3%) from three, while Ottawa, an NAIA team, shot 37%. Illinois outrebounded Ottawa 59-22, scored 23 points on 16 Ottawa turnovers and outscored Ottawa 36-4 on fastbreak points
Three transfers debuted for Illinois. Transfer to Southern Illinois Marcus Domask, who was in the starting lineup, filled the penalty box with eight points, six rebounds and six assists, a team-high. Utah Valley transfer guard Justin Harmon had 11 points (3-4 FG) off the bench as Oregon moved forward Quincy Guerrier added 10 points (1-5 from three) off the bench.
Two freshmen also debuted for Illinois. Amani Hansberry had 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench while Dra Gibbs Lawhorn added 15 points (6-10 FG) off the bench.
Illinois took a double-digit lead within the first four minutes, sparked by eight points and two 3-pointers Luke Goode. The Illini then went on a 29:7 run and went into halftime with a commanding 59:30 lead. The Illini started the second half with a 17-0 run to take a 76-30 lead.
Underwood then relieved pressure on his bench, which led to some up-and-down play from his younger players in the final 15 minutes.
What it means: No great lessons should be learned from an exhibition game against an overmatched NAIA opponent. Illinois still has to prove against quality opponents that its point guard play and shooting won’t limit their potential in the Big Ten or the NCAA Tournament. But the Illini certainly looked like a stronger and more mature team than last season, and might be more stable because of those traits. But we’ll learn a lot more about Illinois on Oct. 29 when the No. 1 team in the country comes to town for one final preseason workout.
Star of the game: Shannon was the best talent on the floor, though Marcus Domask will be a Brad Underwood Favorite – and maybe already. The 6-foot-6 transfer from Southern Illinois provided steady performance and filled the box, but most importantly, he made his teammates better. Domask splashed the ball to his teammates, aggressively went to the glass to extend possession and hit open shots. He just doesn’t make many mistakes and is super skilled.
Statistics of the game: Illinois had 26 assists on 45 field goals made, with eight Illini providing multiple assists: Domask (6), Ty Rodgers (3), Gibbs-Lawhorn (3), Hawkins (2), Shannon (2), Goode (2), Sencire Harris (2 and Niccolo Moretti (2).
One negative: Illinois attempted 42 three-point attempts (7 of 25 in the second half) and shot just 12 of 22 from the free throw line.
Do not overlook: Amani HansberryThe effort put into the glass was remarkable. The freshman was known as a junkyard dog on the AAU circuit, and it looks like he could make an impact on this team in a heartbeat this season if he continues to give that effort on the glass.
What’s next: Illinois hosts No. 1 ranked Kansas on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. at the State Farm Center for a charity exhibition benefiting wildfire relief efforts on Maui. The game marks a return to Champaign Bill Self, who coached Illinois from 2000 to 2003. Self led the Illini to back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2001 and 2002 and an Elite Eight appearance in 2001. He also recruited the majority of the 2004–05 squad that finished second nationally. In 20 seasons in Lawrence, Self led Kansas to two national championships and 17 Big 12 regular-season titles. The Jayhawks are led by Michigan transfer center Hunter Dickinsonwho is 0-4 all-time against Illinois.