The Next Step For Illinois' Marcus Domask Is Producing More Consistently

Illinois Fighting Illini forward Marcus Domask is different from his teammates. 

Most of them receive the bulk of their criticism from coach Brad Underwood and the rest of the staff. But not Domask. 

He's usually getting an earful during practices and games from teammate Terrence Shannon. 

 "Terrence probably yells at me more than the coaches, telling me to be aggressive and stuff like that," Domask said. "I'm just trying to be aggressive and make plays for the team." 

Domask finally listened to Shannon. He had a career-high 33 in a victory against FAU, a Final Four participant last year. Now, the Illini want to see more. 

"It just showed for Marcus," Shannon said. "He's unstoppable and I always be on him about being aggressive. He did that [against FAU] and I was really proud of him. He can do that every night. It was a real step forward for him. He's one of the best players in the country." 

Domask is in his first year with the Illini after earning first-team All-MVC at Southern Illinois. A graduate student, he is still eligible because of the NCAA granting an extra year because of COVID-19. 

If Domask continues to adjust, he could turn into a huge addition once Big Ten play begins. 

"It's just basketball," Domask said. "Some games you have it, some games you don't. Some games you get more looks, some games you don't. I just try to take advantage of everything I can." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher for Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com.