Illinois Basketball: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Has Owned the Offseason

Illinois Basketball: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Has Owned the Offseason

Illinois Basketball has had an active offseason in the transfer portal. They have made three significant adds to the roster in their quest to become an older and experienced team. Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier, and Justin Harmon are all immediate impact players that will hopefully bring Illinois Basketball to a far more consistent place. Despite this, Illinois Basketball has two very bright young talents joining their roster. Amani Hansberry was the highest ranked win for Illinois this past offseason, however Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has a unique skillset that Illinois fans can truly be excited about.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has slowly built a positive buzz around the team with his athleticism, confidence and shot-making. After the Illini held an open practice before hopping on a plane ride to Spain, Gibbs-Lawhorn only opened more eyes.

Bucket Getter

In some of the clips on Youtube, Gibbs-Lawhorn can be seen hitting some shots off the dribble. He hit a deep three and also hit a mid-range jumper off the bounce. He also showed a nice pocket pass to Amani Hansberry that excites Illinois fans yearning for some point guard play. Brad Underwood has always complimented DGL’s ability to play in ball-screens and that pass was the perfect example. Though Illinois may be weary about relying on a freshman guard, Gibbs-Lawhorn can be an important piece off the bench in relief of Ty Rodgers.

Despite Rodgers’ skillset, he is bound to struggle at the beginning. He has guard skills, however asking Rodgers to play the point full time will ultimately come with its share of struggles. Dravyn and Sencire Harris will most likely be relieving Ty Rodgers off the bench.

A trip to Spain

Illinois will now have the opportunity to play someone outside of themselves. In Spain, Illinois will play three exhibitions. With Marcus Domask likely sidelined, Gibbs-Lawhorn will ultimately get some more playing time. This is an outstanding opportunity for the promising freshman to get his feet wet and to see how he stacks up against outside competition. I am curious to see how Dra plays with the starters. Obviously, Coleman Hawkins, Terrence Shannon Jr and Ty Rodgers are locks for the starting lineup. However, the competition is wide open for the other two spots.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn will have his chance