With Terrence Shannon Jr. Facing Charges, How’ve Illinois Dealt With Their Star’s Absence?

The Illinois Fighting Illini have been left shorthanded following the suspension of their guard Terrence Shannon Jr. As per reports, he has been charged with sexual assault. Though the Illinois have won both their games without the services of Shannon Jr, his absence has been a loss for them. The Brad Underwood-team have beaten the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights and the Northwestern Wildcats so far.

But Shannon Jr. was their alpha player in this season. He played 11 games and pocketed 21.7 points per game with 4.5 rebounds per contest and 2.5 assists per outing. Other than scoring, he also stood at the top in blocks obstructing 1.3 per game. Now the Illinois had to change their game plan. But is the shorthanded Illinois as dangerous as its former self?

Illinois’ First Game Without Terrence Shannon Jr.

The Illinois played their first game without Shannon Jr. against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at the State Farm Center. In the absence of Shannon, the team stepped up as a unit and collectively decimated their opponents. Their forward Dain Dainja basketed the team’s highest 19 points while other players, namely guard Justin Harmon and forward Coleman Hawkins weren’t too far behind since they besotted 18 points each.

Talking about Dainja, head coach Brad Underwood said, “Dain works. Dain is a team guy. Dain is all about us. You keep communicating and you keep telling him, ‘It’s the right time.’ When Coleman was out, we saw him step in and flourish. It’s sure not a knock on his abilities; it’s been more of a matchup and the opportunity.”

Additionally, their forwards Quincy Guerrier and Marcus Domask chipped in with 14 and 10 points. This was followed by their guard Ty Rodgers throttling 10 points. Hence, the ball moved around a lot in the absence of Shannon Jr.

In terms of rebounds, Rodgers and Guerrier grabbed 15 and 11 rebounds thus sousing a double-double. Domask wasn’t behind as he too contributed a double-double in terms of assists. He provided 11 assists and as mentioned previously smashed an equal number of points.

Although Shannon Jr’s loss has been a major deal for the Fighting Illini, it has given other players the opportunity to prove their mettle.  The Illinois won the game by a blowout margin of 104-71. Surprisingly, they stuck to their alpha player strategy in the next game. They raged into the New Year with an emphatic victory.

Illinois Defeated the Wildcats & Has 101 Wins In The All-Time Series

The next game was also high-scoring for the Illinois as they defeated the Wildcats by a 96-66 margin. The four players who amped up their game were Domask, Harmon, Guerrier, and Hawkins. Domask emerged as the alpha for the team in this game with a game-high 32 points. He reminded the fans a lot about the contest against the Florida Atlantic Owls when he had shattered 33 points.

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“Ball movement and trusting each other that if you give it up, you’re still gonna get it back. We just trust each other with ball movement, and guys are hitting their shots. Justin’s finding a rhythm. Quincy’s finding a rhythm. Coleman, Luke: The list goes on and on. When guys hit shots, the floor just opens up,” Domask stated while discussing their offensive efficiency.

Further, Guerrier once again smashed a double-double with 10 rebounds and dropped 14 points. 

Harmon notched 20 points and Hawkins embezzled 13. In this game, the third and fourth player for the team were strong enough to provide the impetus for the team for another win. If the Illinois can continue their on-song performance and win the game against the Purdue Boilermakers is something that remains to be seen. 

With this win, the team also leads the all-time series against Northwestern Wildcats, 144-43. That’s 101 wins. This series dates back to the 1907-08 season! Additionally, they have also won 10 of the last 11 meetings against Northwestern.

The Illinois have changed their strategy and are giving an all-round performance. It will be a delight to watch for the Illinois fans if they can continue their performance unhindered in the games to follow. Don’t you think?

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