Basketball
Illinois basketball needs Ben Humrichous to continue strong play
Ben Humrichous continues to play like one of the best “glue-guys” in college basketball.
Illinois basketball is three games away from finishing its regular season schedule. At this point, they need all of their pieces playing well and ready to go as postseason play approaches. One of the most surprising stories in the past month has been the strong play of senior forward Ben Humrichous. Humrichous, after starting a majority of games last season, has come off the bench and has mainly focused on shooting the ball, rebounding, and playing as strong defense as he can. After a tough stretch in the middle of the season, Humrichous is now playing his best basketball as an Illini.
In terms of shooting the ball, Humrichous is shooting 41.1% from the three-point line in his last ten games. However, it is not just his jump shot. Humrichous brings more to the Illini now than just his three-point shot.
The little things. Defense and rebounding
In the last six games, Ben Humrichous is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game. Because Andrej Stojakovic has been either out or limited with his ankle injury, Humrichous has played around 30 minutes per game in the last six games. Though he has his limitations defensively, particularly with quicker, more athletic players, he still continues to battle on that end and come up with key blocks or rebounds. In fact, if Illinois had beat UCLA, many would certainly be talking about his late-game block on Donovan Dent driving to the basket.
Simply put, Humrichous has been a better rebounder and better floor spacer in the past month or so. Kudos to his hard work and determination after a rough middle of the season shooting the ball. If Illinois basketball wants to win big in March, they need Ben Humrichous to continue his current play.
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