Humrichous may not be asked to score much, but several other traits make him a vital glue guy for the Illini
may not appear to have been very valuable in Illinois' 71-59 win over Iowa on Saturday, which sent the Illini to its first NCAA Tournament Final Four in 21 years. In 19 minutes, the senior forward missed both three-point attempts, grabbed four rebounds and totaled zero points, assists, steals and blocks.
The box score doesn't tell the full story, of course, because it was clear when watching the game that Humrichous made several winning plays. Two key stats from Humrichous during Saturday's wins demonstrate just that, including zero turnovers and a plus-16 plus/minus. That has been a consistent theme for Humrichous this season, as he has just six turnovers in 808 minutes – the fewest of any player with that many minutes this century, according to college basketball analyst Matthew Winick.He has six!!! turnovers in 808 minutes this year. That is the fewest number for any player with that many minutes in the 21st century.and several versatile bigs, Humrichous has been an ideal role player for Illinois. Although he didn't score on Saturday, he's a capable three-point shooter at 36.1 percent, which helps space the floor for others. Humrichous has made major strides on the defensive end from last season to this year, and as a 6-foot-9 forward, he now has the ability to defend guards and forwards. Perhaps his biggest impact on Saturday came on the glass, where Illinois held a 38-21 rebounding advantage, including four from Humrichous. Although he has scored just six points in the past three NCAA Tournament games combined, it's clear Humrichous is a valuable piece to Illinois' Final Four run. He played 27 minutes in the win over VCU, stuffing the stat sheet with three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. It's winning plays like those from Humrichous that provide Illinois with balance between go-to scorers and role players, and it takes a strong culture for everyone to buy into the team-first mindset. Moving forward, the next stage of the NCAA Tournament will be even more special for Humrichous. A native of Tipton, Indiana, he previously played at Huntington University, an NAIA program near Fort Wayne, and the University of Evansville in southern Indiana. The Final Four takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which creates a full-circle moment for Humrichous and a special way to wrap up his final season of college basketball. "Ben chose to come back so he could enjoy something like this," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Saturday. "I'm ecstatic for that. That's such a unique experience to do in your home state."Jack Ankony has covered college football, college basketball and Major League Baseball since joining "On SI" in 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism.3 Instant Observations From Illinois' NCAA Tournament Win Over Iowa
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