...who are either statistically good or statistically promising.
They are, in order:
Malcolm Hill doesn't really need to be talked about. He has a ridiculous FT rate (50%+), has a higher rebounding rate than our center (Morgan) and quite honestly if he didn't struggle from three so much this season his offensive statistics would have been top 5 or so in the conference.
Coleman-Lands has an outrageous eFG% (which counts two's and three's) for a freshman of 57%. This is powered by his great three point shooting. Additionally, as a freshman he did not turn the ball over, posting a 10% TO rate while using 20% of Illinois's possessions (this is good, young players often struggle with turnovers). His weaknesses were defense (all of his defensive statistics suck), FT rate and 2-point %. Defense arguably improves with experience, and gaining strength and confidence in an offseason where he's not injured will hopefully improve his production off the bounce. His statistical promise should be extremely exciting for Illinois fans going forward.
Leron Black is obviously propped up by his rebounding percentages, but what's also so promising about him is that his shooting percentages weren't terrible as a freshman. While it is true that many of his shots are putbacks, he's not Dennis Rodman offensively, and this is a big deal. His offensive reb % of 9.9% last year as a freshman would have ranked him 8th in this year's Big Ten. His absolutely insane defensive rebound percentage of 24.9% would have tied him with AJ Hammons for second in the entire conference this season. With age and experience you would expect him to solve his fouling issue. You get the point - Black fills a huge hole on this Illinois roster.
Michael Finke is much the same as Coleman-Lands. He has good shooting percentages for a stretch-4 (53% eFG), showing you he can make shots. However, he was a below-average rebounder for his size and his defensive statistics were alarmingly bad. This is a promising place for a young 4-man to be, as strength is easier to add than natural shooting ability and experience will aid his defensive statistics. The problem is that he plays the position Illinois badly needs Leron Black to play. Finke and Morgan together is a bad idea unless both can improve their defense and rebounding.
For this reason I would argue that the Leron Black injury was by far the most impactful on this season, and his potential return and impending suspension is likely the most important factor going into next season for Illinois. If Illinois is going to play a center in Morgan with such a bad rebounding presence, they need to pair him with someone like Black who can help make up the difference. Malcolm Hill is a solid rebounder for his size, but he can't make up for Morgan's utter lack of rebounding ability.
I have discussed Kendrick Nunn at length in the other thread. He is an average player statistically despite Illinois fans often falling in love with the potential they see in him. At this point I don't expect him to be anything much greater than that. He is a junior who can still only dribble with one hand. If he is kicked off the team, Illinois won't lose much as his minutes will be filled by Coleman-Lands, who has the potential to likely be an above-average player next year.
Finally, Morgan is at best an average player. His offensive stats are good (a TS%, which accounts for free throws, of 58% on a big man is quite good), but his alarmingly bad rebounding and defense will prevent him from ever being an above-average player overall. If Illinois can pair him with a healthy Black to mask the rebounding weakness, Morgan could excel and actually be a really good fit for the Illinois offense.
They are, in order:
- Malcolm Hill
- Jalen Coleman-Lands
- Leron Black
- Michael Finke
Malcolm Hill doesn't really need to be talked about. He has a ridiculous FT rate (50%+), has a higher rebounding rate than our center (Morgan) and quite honestly if he didn't struggle from three so much this season his offensive statistics would have been top 5 or so in the conference.
Coleman-Lands has an outrageous eFG% (which counts two's and three's) for a freshman of 57%. This is powered by his great three point shooting. Additionally, as a freshman he did not turn the ball over, posting a 10% TO rate while using 20% of Illinois's possessions (this is good, young players often struggle with turnovers). His weaknesses were defense (all of his defensive statistics suck), FT rate and 2-point %. Defense arguably improves with experience, and gaining strength and confidence in an offseason where he's not injured will hopefully improve his production off the bounce. His statistical promise should be extremely exciting for Illinois fans going forward.
Leron Black is obviously propped up by his rebounding percentages, but what's also so promising about him is that his shooting percentages weren't terrible as a freshman. While it is true that many of his shots are putbacks, he's not Dennis Rodman offensively, and this is a big deal. His offensive reb % of 9.9% last year as a freshman would have ranked him 8th in this year's Big Ten. His absolutely insane defensive rebound percentage of 24.9% would have tied him with AJ Hammons for second in the entire conference this season. With age and experience you would expect him to solve his fouling issue. You get the point - Black fills a huge hole on this Illinois roster.
Michael Finke is much the same as Coleman-Lands. He has good shooting percentages for a stretch-4 (53% eFG), showing you he can make shots. However, he was a below-average rebounder for his size and his defensive statistics were alarmingly bad. This is a promising place for a young 4-man to be, as strength is easier to add than natural shooting ability and experience will aid his defensive statistics. The problem is that he plays the position Illinois badly needs Leron Black to play. Finke and Morgan together is a bad idea unless both can improve their defense and rebounding.
For this reason I would argue that the Leron Black injury was by far the most impactful on this season, and his potential return and impending suspension is likely the most important factor going into next season for Illinois. If Illinois is going to play a center in Morgan with such a bad rebounding presence, they need to pair him with someone like Black who can help make up the difference. Malcolm Hill is a solid rebounder for his size, but he can't make up for Morgan's utter lack of rebounding ability.
I have discussed Kendrick Nunn at length in the other thread. He is an average player statistically despite Illinois fans often falling in love with the potential they see in him. At this point I don't expect him to be anything much greater than that. He is a junior who can still only dribble with one hand. If he is kicked off the team, Illinois won't lose much as his minutes will be filled by Coleman-Lands, who has the potential to likely be an above-average player next year.
Finally, Morgan is at best an average player. His offensive stats are good (a TS%, which accounts for free throws, of 58% on a big man is quite good), but his alarmingly bad rebounding and defense will prevent him from ever being an above-average player overall. If Illinois can pair him with a healthy Black to mask the rebounding weakness, Morgan could excel and actually be a really good fit for the Illinois offense.
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