Four spots in Illinois’ starting lineup appear to be fully cemented: Mihailo Petrovic at point guard, Kylan Boswell at shooting guard, Andrej Stojakovic at small forward and Tomislav Ivisic at center.
That leaves just one spot up for grabs: power forward. The trio of players battling for that coveted role?
International recruit David Mirkovic, Arkansas transfer Zvonimir Ivisic and returning graduate forward Ben Humrichous.
Let’s break down the benefits and drawbacks of each potential option, then make our Illinois on SI pick.
Strengths: shooting, interior defense, cutting, passing and rebounding
Weaknesses: athleticism, experience
Just 19 years old, Mirkovic has professional experience, but he is the only player on this list without any college experience. On the other hand, he’s the most versatile offensive option. Mirkovic has spot-up shooting ability, is an instinctive cutter, a solid passer and can get downhill – and he does an excellent job of dribbling into post-ups when he’s cut off by smaller defenders.
Mirkovic has a frame that is mature beyond his years. Wide-bodied and with adequate length, he is a top-notch anticipator, a plus defender in the paint and a game-changing rebounder. The only question mark is his lack of agility – and, consequently, his ability to stay in front of athletic, perimeter-oriented forwards.
Strengths: shooting, offensive rebounding, defense, experience
Weaknesses: offensive creation, defensive rebounding
Soon-to-be 23 years old, with five years of college basketball already under his belt (including a season in the Big Ten), Humrichous is a veteran in every sense of the word – which is immeasurable by a statistical standard. Also a high-volume, efficient long range marksman, Humrichous has proven his ability to stretch defenses.
Even given his well-documented shooting woes last season, Humrichous was still a 34.3 percent shooter from deep – a number all but guaranteed to climb next season. Worth noting: while Humrichous may not have looked the part of a difference-maker on defense last season, he put up a solid defensive box plus/minus of 3.0; for context, Kylan Boswell recorded a DBPM of 3.5.
Although Humrichous is a board crasher with an uncanny ability to read where a missed shot is headed on the offensive end, he offers little on the defensive glass. Last season he managed just 2.7 defensive rebounds per game – a troubling number considering his position, size and relative athleticism. And aside from his shooting ability on the offensive end – which includes a midrange fadeaway – Humrichous has shown limited creation ability.
Strengths: defense, shooting
Weaknesses: physicality, offensive versatility
Although Zvonimir Ivisic’s list of strengths may lack quantity, they more than make up for it with quality. Immediately the best perimeter shooter on this Illini roster, Zvonimir is a 37.6 percent career three-point shooter who hit 1.3 per game last season in just 19.1 minutes per game. Then there’s this: Zvonimir’s career defensive box plus/minus of 4.76 ranks 11th in the SEC since 2010-2011.
But unlike twin brother Tomislav, Zvonimir isn’t a big-time banger in the paint. The Arkansas transfer rarely posts up, and isn’t quite as effective of a rebounder as you would expect given his size. Also, his fit alongside Tomislav is a bit of an unknown, considering neither can consistently guard a stretch four, let alone an uber-athletic forward.
Illinois on SI’s pick: Ben Humrichous
Humrichous’ experience should earn him the starting role, and Mirkovic will challenge him for it as the season continues, while Zvonimir figures to star in a sixth man role.
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