Why the Illinois basketball roster will have a new look for the 2024-25 college season

Illinois basketball looked good Monday night in its 112-67 season opening victory against Eastern Illinois. The Fighting Illini roster also looked a little different.

Returning starter Ty Rodgers did not play Monday and has decided to redshirt the 2024-25 season, team spokesman Derrick Burson told the Champaign News-Gazette and coach Brad Underwood confirmed in a postgame news conference.

Underwood also said the program is looking into redshirt options for 6-foot-10, 210-pound freshman Jason Jakstys, who was the only Illini to suit up Monday and not play.

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Why did Ty Rodgers redshirt?

Underwood said discussions about a possible redshirt took place over the last few weeks, since practice started, and through the exhibition loss to Ole Miss. Rodgers was scoreless in 14 minutes of the 91-74 road loss to the Rebels.

“The thing about young people is, they have goals, things they want to try to reach,” Underwood said Monday night. “We feel he could continue to grow … offensively. … He has area of his game he wants to work on and we support that development.”

Rodgers was by far the most experienced returning player for Illinois. He started every game last season in a run the NCAA Elite Eight, averaging 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Underwood called Rodgers decision “a loss,” but also said he was a winner and a nice young man with a kind heart.

Will Ty Rodgers transfer from Illinois?

This is a similar situation to last season, when Sencire Harris decided to redshirt before the season; he ended up transferring to West Virginia. Underwood hopes the program can keep Rodgers, but knows the transfer portal is a possibility.

“It’s the world we’re in,” Underwood said with a shrug. “I think he’s an Illini. I think he’s our guy. We love Ty to death, but our world doesn’t have any guarantees in it now.”

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If Monday night was any indication, the Illini have some depth…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-illinois-basketball-roster-look-153754308.html

Author : Journal Star

Publish date : 2024-11-05 15:37:00

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