Illinois Basketball: Why Ben Humrichous Will be the X-Factor

Illinois basketball will welcome 10 newcomers to the team for the 2024-2025 season. All of them will have different roles on this team, however, the X-factor for the success of this roster will undoubtedly be Ben Humrichhous. Ben Humrichous was one of the most celebrated off-season additions to Illinois Basketball. The Evansville forward chose Illinois over strong NIL offers from Louisville and Villanova.

247sports’ Isaac Trotter made a fantastic point in a recent article regarding Big Ten transfers. Trotter noted that the Evansville basketball program had a +3.6 net rating with Humrichous on the floor. With the 6 foot 9 forward off the floor, the Evansville aces were -16.8. Humrichous has a chance to make a massive impact for the Illini as his skillset checks off so many boxes for what Brad Underwood wants to do.

Skill and Versatility

Humrichous’ main skillset will be his shooting. He shot 41.4 percent on threes and was elite in catch-and-shoot situations. There have been times when shootings have not transferred over very well from lower-level schools. For example, Marcus Domask did not shoot as well from the 3-point line as he did during his time at SIU. However, Humrichous holds a lot of skill and versatility. This skill set involves being able to put the ball on the floor and make decisions off the bounce. 

Humrichous’ game reminds me a lot of a taller Joe Wieskamp. He is an outstanding shooter, however, has strong positional size that allows him to attack the basket and expose mismatches. Both players were exceptional in catch-and-shoot scenarios. If Humrichous can bring that same skillset to Illinois basketball, they will certainly have an exciting and successful season.

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