CHAMPAIGN — Ben Humrichous had a quiet, relatively unremarkable stat line in Saturday night’s win over Tennessee, ending the night with a meager two points, five rebounds and an assist.
But at least one of his rebounds came in the middle of the second half and was instrumental in kick-starting a run for Illinois as time began to swirl away from them.
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“Ben was absolutely phenomenal tonight, on the defensive side,” Underwood said after that thrilling win over Tennessee in Nashville on Saturday night. “The impact he had, the job he did in his 26 minutes was quite large.”
But Humrichous was quick to deflect any praise or credit for his defensive impact on the floor.
“It’s fun that my play was a part of that turnaround. I love the way that when we needed to make a play, there were a lot of guys who made plays right in a row,” Humrichous said. “I loved our collective effort to turn it around.”
When Humrichous first arrived in Champaign, media and fans alike were quick to point out the parallels of his basketball journey to that of former Illini, Marcus Domask, who became a fan favorite almost immediately in his short year as an Illini.
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While they are almost completely different players, the parallels are undeniable, with both guys transferring from mid-major programs. Naturally, there was always an expectation for Humrichous to make a significant offensive impact on the floor.
More than a year into his tenure, none of those expectations have materialized through a season-and-a-quarter (ish). His tenure has been a mixed bag, but his role on this season’s Illini teams is beginning to crystallize after each game.
And it’s a critical role.
“My role was to space the floor and give them [teammates] space to work,” Humrichous said. “Some nights it might be different.”
For Humrichous, the offensive numbers were not of concern, though offensive production was certainly a point of contention for him internally in the past.
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When Ben Humrichous decided he would return to Champaign for a second season in the Orange and Blue, he made it clear to Underwood he’d have to have and be more than willing to have an expanded responsibility on defense in 2025-2026.
Yet earlier this season, Humrichous found himself at a crossroads in his college basketball, nay, basketball career. Yes, a lot of early staunching excitement for Humrichous as a can’t-miss three-point assassin has frayed away, but one must move forward, right?
“When I was at Huntington, to have that role, probably would have been frustrating,” Humrichous said. “And it takes time to develop the understanding that I want to do what it takes to win, and I want to win as a group, so sometimes role change over time… Our team is going to be most successful when I do the role that the coach needs me to do.”
Underwood sees a guy who cares and is going through a growing phase.
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“A guy who started at the NAAI level and found his way into the Big Ten,” Underwood explained. “And now understanding what it takes to win, it’s just a maturation process.”
It helps that Humrichous has added a bit of weight and is in his second year as an Illini, or rather, second offseason in the Big Ten. Last season, Humrichous found himself in more scoring opportunities because of the makeup of that particular team. And in a modern college basketball world, there, of course, always need to be adjustments.
“His care, pride, want to, and understanding of winning,” Underwood said of Humrichous. “He’s just been an offensive player most of his life, and he’s been a guy that’s been known for his shooting,”
Added Humrichous: “It took a lot of time for me mentally to understand that’s what it takes to start winning.”
Illinois’ success in its two wins against top-level competition in Tennessee and against Texas Tech is something the Illini are accustomed to priming them against the Big Ten conference.
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“Here at the U of I, we’re not liked, so when we step onto other teams’ floors, what that competition is like going into it and how the other team presents itself,” Humrichous said. “I think it’s fun.”
It’ll be a hostile environment over in Columbus on Tuesday night. And Illinois will need to continue to grow into its defined roles. Humrichous included. He will need to rebound more.
