Illini All Business in Romp over Monmouth

By Jeff Mayfield

[November 15, 2022] 

The Illinois Fighting Illini were all business last night in the State Farm Center as they hammered Monmouth University 103-65. The Illini started the game on an 8-0 run, never looked back, and were never headed on their way to taking their record to 3-0 on the young season. After some sluggish starts for both our football and basketball teams it was great to see a quick and dominating start. Our ball movement, penchant for making the extra pass, and totally unselfish play are basketball fundamentals that will help this team as the schedule gets harder. Things will get a lot tougher in the next few weeks as the schedule shifts into high gear with some really pesky opponents on the horizon.

Our 3 Stars [with an assist from Nathan and Lennox Lindstrom=thanks guys]!

#1 Terrence Shannon, Jr.

Shannon was a beast in this contest from the opening tip till he left the floor. He produced a career-high 30-point night, but he could’ve had 50. IF we were employing ‘Jordan Rules,’ when he was hitting shots in bunches, we could just give him the ball & get everybody else out of the way-he was a ‘man-child’ out there. He was more than that, he dominated virtually every time the ball was in his hands. It will be interesting to see how he does when the competition is tougher and future teams put their best defensive specialists on him. But it sure was fun to watch him in this encounter! His plus-minus rating for the game was +36!

#2 Jayden Epps

Also contributed a career-high 21 points and more shots could’ve been created for him. He looked ready, smooth, and confident. He wanted the ball and wasn’t afraid to shoot with even a sliver of room. He demonstrated a very sound mechanical shot that seemed true from the shooting pocket past the follow-through. We’re excited just to consider the potential and the possibilities. We believe that the future of this team will hinge in many ways on how well they shoot the basketball this campaign. I think our defense will be okay, rebounding and free throw shooting needs attention, but making shots always covers a multitude of sins! And that will preach!

#3 Skyy Clark

Don’t get on me for favoring a fellow Californian! This guy is still recovering from a horrendous knee injury and is improving by leaps and bounds. His confidence, his ability to see the floor, his unselfishness, his skill and delivering the ball right where his teammates can do something with it are just some of the reasons we’re going to like this kid. His 7 points and 6 assists were just part of the reason he had such a quality game. Does he have things to work on? Of course. Is it a huge learning curve on how to be a solid college point guard? Without a doubt.


 

But don’t sleep on this guy as we believe he has a very high ceiling….and then when you add the contributions of Epps, of Rodgers, etc. to the mix-you like what you’re seeing. Skyy also delivered a 31 rating on the plus-minus index!

Honorable Mention

R.J. Melendez

Has had a slow start to the season, but if you forget him-we believe he will rise up and bite you! He hasn’t had a spectacular game yet, but he has no quit in him. Last night he hit some shots on his way to 9 points and 5 rebounds and was way more active than he had been in the previous contests. Look for him to step-up his play now that he is getting more comfortable with all of his new teammates!

Dain Dainja

Continues to deliver results…15 points last night and just seemingly always around the basket. He has the uncanny knack of knowing what to do with ball, where he needs to go, and how to position himself seemingly every trip down. It will be fun to see how much he can develop in the weeks ahead.

Not invisible

While their lines might not be the most imposing or impressive that you’ve ever seen-Ty Rodgers and Matthew Mayer both contributed a +25 on the plus-minus scale!

All that being said, this team has been fun to watch so far. Will it get progressively more difficult in the next few to several games? Absolutely! It’s supposed to. While some fans don’t like these non-conference games, they’re scheduled to build confidence, to help construct team chemistry. They are intended to create synergy and momentum. There is a great art and science in building a fantastic schedule. So far, this one is working as planned.

Next up for your Fighting Illini is a trip to the desert where Illinois will face a brutally tough and well-coached team in the UCLA Bruins on Friday night in Las Vegas. They will tangle with another scary foe in the winner between Virginia and Baylor on Sunday.

[By JEFF MAYFIELD]

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