Still looking for the Illinois basketball weakness for the 2024-25 season

Illinois basketball has started the 2024-25 season blazing hot, and I am not sure when we will cool down.

Full disclosure, I know the Illini are just two games into the season, and we have played sub-par teams. Illinois will eventually match up against better competition.

With that being said, I am not sure Illinois has a weakness on this team. If they do, I am having a hard time finding that weakness.

In years past, even on the Elite 8 team last season, there were weaknesses on the team. A sore spot for the Elite 8 team in 2023-24 was at the point guard position. Illinois essentially didn’t have a point guard, which led to some stale possessions.

That 2023-24 squad made up for the lack of a point guard with some great shooting ability. Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, and Co. managed to overcome that weakness with great play.

In the season before that, there have been numerous weaknesses. In the early 2020s, Brad Underwood’s teams didn’t have the three-point shooting, among other things. Early Underwood teams didn’t have talent or depth to go along with a lack of shooting.

Even before Underwood arrived, John Groce didn’t have a suitable point guard or big man. He could never find his footing due to those two key elements missing or being hurt.

When I watch this season’s version of the Illinois basketball team, I can’t pinpoint a weakness. I can’t point to something and be like, yes, that is where teams will attack and succeed against this program in the future.

Let’s first address the point guard situation. I can’t express how happy I am that Illinois finally has a point guard. Honestly, I can probably say we have two point guards. Kasparas Jakucionis is the main point guard with Kylan Boswell being able to handle the ball well too.

It has been painful watching the Illinois basketball team go without a point guard for the past decade or so. Last season, during an Elite 8 run, the leader in assists was Domask with 3.9 assists per game. That is mind-blowing.

Point guard has gone from a weakness for the past decade to now being a strength for the Illini.

Illinois finally has a point guard, so maybe the big man situation has weakened? Nope, not the case either. I would argue this is the best frontcourt I have seen Illinois have since that Elite 8 team in 2001 with Brian Cook, Marcus Griffin, Robert Archibald, and Sergio McClain.

I have never seen a big man like Tomislav Ivisic at Illinois. His athletic ability paired with great polish to his game makes him an insane weapon. Illinois then brings Morez Johnson Jr., a player who can start for just about any team in the country, off the bench.

Alongside Ivisic in the starting lineup is Ben Humrichous. He is a dangerous three-point shooter who is knocking down 53.8% of his three-point attempts this season. Illinois also has projected first-round pick Will Riley coming off the bench in the frontcourt. The talent and depth in the frontcourt is incredible.

So, where is the weakness? Three-point shooting? Nope, Illinois is hitting 38.7% from three-point range as a team, which is top 100 in the country.

Is rebounding an issue? Not at all. In fact, Illinois is averaging 52.5 rebounds per game, and that leads the entire country. Nearly everyone on the roster can rebound well.

This is a new team, Illinois must have chemistry issues, right? Wrong. This Illini program looks like it has played together for years. You wouldn’t even know they have only had two games together. The great chemistry has led to a 2.06:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks No. 29 in the nation.

I could go on and on. Illinois has an incredible presence in the paint. Those big men can guard on the perimeter because they are so athletic. The Illini guards can drive in the lane or step back and hit three-point attempts. We are sharing the basketball and moving around the court well. Illinois can space offensively too, which has been an issue in the past.

The only issue you might be able to point to is free throw shooting. Illinois is hitting 71.6% from the charity stripe. That isn’t a bad number, though. It is still good enough to rank top 150 in the country.

You can’t even point to depth issues. Illinois’ starting five is laced with talent, so it would be understandable if we saw a big drop-off with our backups. But honestly, I think our second rotation could finish in the top five in the Big Ten.

Illinois has one of the most talented teams I have seen in years. I can’t find a weakness on this team, and I am looking under every rock. I am sure in the coming weeks, there will be a moment or two when I see some weaknesses. For now, the search continues.