Illinois Basketball Has One Player That Doesn’t Quite Fit

Okay, okay, okay…

You may have clicked on this article ready to fire away in the comments section, but I would like to encourage you to hang with me for just a minute. The truth is, Illinois has one player that doesn’t quite fit what they are trying to accomplish, on either end of the basketball floor. You probably already know who I’m talking about. It’s Dain Dainja.

Dainja was a nice surprise last year on a pretty dysfunctional team. He averaged around 9 points per game with great efficiency, playing about 20 minutes per game. He provided much more than many people thought he would in his first season, often bringing to the team what they lost after Kofi Cockburn’s departure. It would have been a reasonable expectation for his role to continue to grow and flourish in his second full season with Illinois, but this season has taken a different turn.

In year two at Illinois, Dainja’s points and rebounds are actually not (way) down, 7 points and 4 rebounds respectively. But his time on the floor, 11 minutes per game, is a stark (near) 50% drop from last season. So what exactly happened here? Why is Dainja not playing? It’s rather simple… Illinois has figured out how to win games. And Dainja isn’t a great fit alongside one guy who is finally putting it all together.

Coleman Hawkins playing the 5 has always been a compelling proposition on paper for Illinois Basketball. 6 ft. 10, athletic, a nice-looking jumper, great defender.

However, the moments of brilliance and NBA skill were, until this year, just that — moments. Hawkins’ decision-making and frenetic energy on the court gave many fans whiplash while watching him. One second, a remarkable block and pass to spring a fast break, and the next, a 30-foot-three early in the shot-clock. Maddening, and hard to watch, but the flashes were there.

It appears Coleman Hawkins has finally become the basketball player Illinois fans hoped he could be, and a lot of it has to do with his ability to space the floor. Hawkins is shooting nearly 36% from three on about 5 attempts per game, up 10% over 2022-2023 and a career-best. That’ll do. His shot has transformed Illinois, a team that struggled to score, into a team whose offense is now objectively prolific. And it’s not just “the shot.” It’s the “threat of the shot” that has made maybe an even bigger impact.

Teams are having to guard the perimeter, giving plenty of space to guys like Marcus Domask, who needs space to deploy his signature backdown and fade-away jumper. If you’re a tortured Bulls fan, like me, it might look similar to how Nikola Vucevic’s threat from deep allows DeMar DeRozan to do his thing from midrange (still very different, obviously). Spacing has changed how Illinois plays, and it’s working.

Hawkins is also pretty great defensively, too, as he has been for a while now. He is 7th in the Big Ten in Defensive Box Plus/Minus.

This revelation, along with Hawkins’ oft-stellar defense, has left Dain Dainja as a round peg in a square hole.

His style of play more closely resembles that of Kofi Cockburn, as mentioned already, a traditional big who operates best in the low post. And honestly, it’s not as if Dainja has necessarily been bad offensively, Purdue game notwithstanding. He is 2nd in the Big Ten in 2-point field goal percentage, but it all comes down to the best on-court fit. His defense also tends to leave a lot to be desired.

Illinois, at the level (and the style) the team is currently playing basketball, doesn’t have a natural role for Dainja. While that is unfortunate for those of us who love entering the “Dainja Zone,” I don’t think many of us have a lot of complaints about how the team is rolling at the moment.

I still believe Dainja will have to play a role in a meaningful way in a game for Illinois down the stretch. He just needs to stay ready for that opportunity.