Illinois had a scare in the first half against Texas Tech when freshman Quentin Coleman went down after a drive to the rim.
The play came just over midway through the opening period. Coleman attacked the lane, spun through traffic and slipped a pass to Zvonimir Ivisic under the basket, but he came up hurt on the sequence. He was down in obvious pain, with the injury appearing to involve his ankle, before eventually getting to his feet and limping to the bench.
The situation got even more concerning from there. Coleman briefly returned to the game at the 4:42 mark in the first half, but he was still limping.
Illinois then called timeout and pulled him again because he clearly couldn’t keep up. Later, Coleman was back on the floor and moving better with less than a minute left in the half.
That matters for Illinois because Coleman has been central to what the Illini are getting in this game. In eight minutes, he had three points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal, while also giving the team a burst of energy with his activity on the glass and his ability to come out of nowhere for blocks.
There was no official update on the injury at the time, but Coleman’s status is obviously one to watch.
And it’s not hard to see why Illinois needs him. Coleman has been one of the biggest reasons the Illini have kept rolling this season, especially with David Mirkovic and now Jake Davis out for an extended stretch. The freshman has stepped into a major role and produced right away.
Through two games, Coleman has averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting 50% from three-point range. Beyond the numbers, he’s brought the kind of energy Illinois can feed off - the kind that shows up in loose balls, extra rebounds and plays that swing momentum.
He’s also grown into a leadership role for a team that needs it. Illinois will be hoping Coleman can keep going against Texas Tech, because the Illini need him on the court if they want to hold off a Red Raiders team pushing for the upset.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Exposed A Bigger Nebraska Problem Than One Loss
Nebraskas loss to Illinois did more than knock the Huskers back in the standings. It pushed the program into a full reset on offense, with the school parting ways with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen after the defeat and opening the door to bigger questions about how the unit has been built and managed.
Matt Rhule now has to steady a team sitting at 5-4 and figure out where the next wins are coming from with the schedule tightening up. The issue is no longer just one bad performance against Illinois, but whether Nebraskas leadership can make the kind of adjustments needed to keep the season from slipping further away. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Walks Into A Texas Tech Test That Could Get Uncomfortable
Texas Tech has opened the season with two wins and now gets a far bigger measuring stick, with No. 3 Illinois coming to town in a game that should tell both teams plenty about where they stand early. The Red Raiders are already dealing with frontcourt absences, which puts extra pressure on players like Bassala Bagayoko and Darrion Williams to help hold things together inside while the rest of the roster tries to match Illinois size and depth.
The more intriguing part may be on the perimeter, where Texas Techs Cruz Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn will be asked to keep pace with Illinois guards Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks. With key big men unavailable on both sides, this one could tilt toward whichever backcourt handles the moment better and avoids the kind of stretches that can quickly make a high-profile nonconference game feel uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Former Illini Adds A Dangerous Twist To Illinois Biggest Test
Illinois is getting ready for one of its biggest early tests against No. 16 Texas Tech, and the matchup comes with a familiar face on the other side. Former Illini guard Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn is now part of the Red Raiders rotation, adding a little extra intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of weight for Brad Underwoods team.
Underwood touched on Gibbs-Lawhorns scoring ability in his pregame press conference, and it is easy to see why Illinois would pay close attention. The question now is whether the kind of offensive success he showed at the mid-major level can hold up with the same consistency against high-major competition, especially in a game where every possession figures to matter. [Read more 🡒]