Thoughts on Illinois' exhibition against Cincy + Baylor coming up today

Exhibition play opened up for the Illini last Saturday. Illinois defeated the 35th ranked team in KenPom 105-96. The game was not streamed anywhere, so all I can touch on is based on what I saw on the box score and the highlights that were released.

I can't emphasize enough how much the result of an exhibition game isn't the end all be all. What matters most is individual performances, and what the identify a team is trying to develop.

I thought Illinois answered these questions about as well as you can for an exhibition. Last season, Illinois played at one of the slowest tempos in the country. That has not been the norm for a Brad Underwood team after Kofi Cockburn left. Some wondered if Illinois was going to go back to the fast-paced style of offense. In the Illini's win over Cincy, Illinois pushed the ball and did not slow it down with ball screens. It was a staple of the offense a season ago, but it seems like Illinois and Underwood are going to adjust once again to match the strengths of the roster. The Illini had 80 possessions, which was more than any total from a game last season. That is to say what we see in the remaining exhibitions and the non-conference slate does not mean this team's identity is set in stone. Illinois revamped their entire offensive approach in late November last season, and it worked.

When Ayo Dosunmu came back on campus, a clip of him talking to Lincoln Williams and Andrej Stojakovic surfaced. In one of those clips, Ayo talked about how Illinois now runs an offense similar to the Miami Heat. This offense relies on very little ball screens. It's a free-flowing systems that allows Illinois to matchup hunt instead of running sets. Spacing the floor is key to allowing Illinois to move with freedom and open driving lanes for dribble penetration. If Illinois puts up 1.313 points per possession like they did on Saturday consistently, watch out. It might just be the most efficient offense in the history of college basketball.

On defense, I really have no idea how to gauge it since I am only going off the box score, but it seems like communication errors and sloppy rotations led to Cincinnati generating open looks. Overtime, you would hope that improves naturally.

One thing that really stuck out to me was Cincinnati's Tylen Riley having a career day. One recurring problem that has plagued Illinois on defense has been allowing one guy to take over a game. The ceremonial Donta Scott "Illini Killer" in exhibition one was Tylen Riley. I think if Illinois wants to closer to the top 10 in defense on KenPom, someone is going to have to step up and become a defensive strapper. Illinois can't continue to allow one guy to just absolutely terrorize them.

From an individual perspective, the Illini had plenty of great performers. Andrej Stojakovic took over the game in spurts and looks like he is ready to take that year two transfer leap. Illinois getting out and running should also help him score some free points to get him going.

Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks came off the bench, but he played pretty well. He has a quick trigger and is not afraid to shoot the ball. The most promising development was Vaak's ability to get into the lane and finish at the rim. That was one of the biggest concerns for Vaaks because he did not do all that much at rim last season. If Vaaks continues to attack the rim, he may just be untapping a whole different aspect of his game. Interestingly enough, I thought Vaaks was going to be Illinois' primary ball handler and playmaker between all of the guards, but he was in more of an off-ball role this game. I still think Vaaks is the most intriguing piece to this roster.

There were questions about which Illini freshmen were going to separate themselves from the rest. Quentin Coleman is one of the highest ranked recruits in school history, so it was pretty clear he was going to be one of them. Coleman had as impressive of a debut as about anyone. He racked up a near triple-double and a personal 10-0 run helped the Illini fend off Cincy in the second half. Brad loves guards who can rebound and after Coleman led his U18 team at the AmeriCup in rebounding, it was clear Coleman and Brad were going to be a perfect fit. Quentin also was the Illini's top playmaker. He was able to knife his way into the paint and spray the ball to open shooters on the perimeter. Coleman also played at a high intensity and will probably become a fan favorite just for his motor.

Ethan Brown had some buzz developing over these last few months, and on Saturday we saw why. Brown had 15 points 5 rebounds, and most importantly 0 turnovers. Brown averaged over 30 points a game in high school, so seeing him be able to play a complimentary role well is very exciting.

Landon Davis also looked the part as a backup big man who can log minutes for Illinois if he needs to. He has a 7'3 wingspan that can disrupt opposing offenses. Davis also made his only three-point attempt, so even just posing the threat of shooting can allow him to be on the court in short stints because he won't disrupt Illinois' spacing.

Overall, I think that exhibition went about as well as an exhibition can go. The Illini played well but still have plenty of room to learn and grow.

Today, Illinois hosts Baylor, who just defeated the AP Poll number 1 Florida Gators in an exhibition. Baylor looks like they will be another good test for Illinois. I can't wait to finally watch a complete game and continue to see what this team is good at and what needs to be improved upon. I'm most excited to watch the defense because I don't think anyone is doubting Illinois' ability to score and be an offensive juggernaut.