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Based on the box score alone, Ben Humrichous 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.
On a team with an All-American guard like Keaton Wagler 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.
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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….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/incredible-stat-highlights-ben-humrichous-230908635.html
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Publish date : 2026-03-30 23:09:00
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