Illinois Basketball: 3 takeaways from Illini victory over Jackson State

The word I would use to describe Illinois Basketball’s season opener against Jackson State? Weird. The Illini beat Jackson State 71-47, but it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. With Kofi Cockburn suspended and Trent Frazier, Andre Curbelo, and Austin Hutcherson nursing injuries, the roles and rotations were nothing like what we’ll be seeing in a matter of games. Guys who wouldn’t usually see extended minutes played big chunks of the game, and many players had to play out of position.

Da’Monte Williams and Coleman Hawkins shared time running the point guard spot. It’s safe to say that when Curbelo and Frazier return, neither Williams nor Hawkins will be taking the ball up the floor. Not having Cockburn in the paint also hurt the offense’s identity and led to some ugly possessions. Getting these key players back soon will give a better idea of what this team can do offensively.

On the defensive end, Illinois was impressive despite the level of competition. Omar Payne and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk looked like capable reserves behind Cockburn on that end. The rest of the team looked connected despite all the new faces and lack of experience. This should translate nicely for when the rest of the team returns to the floor.

Overall, the team did a nice job of convincingly beating a team they should convincingly beat without their key guys. I would take everything we saw with a grain of salt both because it was against Jackson State and because of the injuries, but there were three things that I think will be indicative of what’s to come the rest of the year.

Here’s what I took away…