Basketball
Illinois Basketball Needs Niccolo Moretti
With the season flashing before our eyes, here we were looking at two players who rarely play coming in to save the day. Luckily enough, this move by Underwood paid off. Hansberry brought physicality and intensity to the game that Sencire Harris was so famous for. Also, Nico Moretti showed Illini Nation that he can really help this team.

Illinois Basketball needs Niccolo Moretti
In yesterday’s win against Iowa, Illinois Basketball hit what seemed like a crossroads in their season. After around 2 minutes into the second half, Illinois Basketball looked like they were about to go on another lull. The balance of the game laid there as Ty Rodgers and Coleman Hawkins did not communicate on a baseline out-of-bounds play. This allowed an easy, wide-open layup for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and Brad Underwood had to make a decision. Brad Underwood did the hockey switch. He took out his five starters in favor of his bench, including Niccolo Moretti and Amani Hansberry.
With the season flashing before our eyes, here we were looking at two players who rarely play coming in to save the day. Luckily enough, this move by Underwood paid off. Hansberry brought physicality and intensity to the game that Sencire Harris was so famous for. Also, Nico Moretti showed Illini Nation that he can help this team.
The True Point Guard
Illinois Basketball has had the “point guard issue”. That was incredibly evident with the multiple late-game collapses. Marcus Domask has done an incredible job of playing out of position in those situations, however, the offense just has a different “hum” to it with a true point guard in the lineup. That is exactly what Nico Moretti does. He has excellent control in the half-court and is that guy who can just make the proper pass. He also is way more comfortable pushing the ball up the floor after a miss than Ty Rodgers is. This allows Illinois to take advantage of their athleticism and burst when they somehow get a defensive stop.
Moretti found Dainja and Hansberry on multiple occasions which turned the tide in the game. Not to mention, he knocked down two key three-pointers. Moretti finished with 9 points.
Questions?
The Question is defensively. Moretti is a small-statured guy, to say the least, but his effort is there. Since Illinois has been awful defensively, why not give the guy who allows for so much more offensive stability off the bench? Brad Underwood has to find a way to involve Nico and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn in the rotation. If those two can find ways to be useful, this Illinois Basketball team will be a force in March.
Video
Audio
Thank you for reading Armchair Illini. For more Illinois Athletics and Big Ten content from Armchair Illini, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around!
-
Football4 days ago
Former Illini Pat Bryant makes NFL Debut
-
Football5 days ago
Breaking: Illini Freshman RB Out for the Season
-
Football7 days ago
Illinois Football cracks preseason top 25 for the first time in 17 years
-
Football4 days ago
Luke Altmyer: Faith, Leadership, and the Heartbeat of Illinois Football
-
Football1 day ago
Former Illinois Football Wide Receiver Signs with the 49’ers
-
Football1 day ago
Armchair Illini Podcast Episode 2: Big Ten Preview With CBS’s Tom Fornelli
-
Football5 hours ago
Former Illini Pat Bryant Turning Heads in Denver
-
Football5 hours ago
Illinois Football Opens 2025 Season with Huge Point Spread vs WIU