Illini Power Rankings: An Ode to Ty Rodgers

We all have our guys. Usually, these guys play basketball the way we imagine we would play basketball, were we blessed with the talent, skills and physical gifts. (And willingness to get out of bed before noon.) Maybe you're a shooter. Maybe you're a passer. Maybe you've got an old-guy-at-the-rec-league game. (In which case you're probably a Northwestern fan, in which case you should leave.) Me? I love Rodman guys. I love guys who run like they've got springs in their shoes, who can calculate every angle, who go after every rebound like everyone they love will go hungry if they don't get to the ball. These guys aren't scorers, and they're definitely not shooters. But they always seem to be in the right place. And they always, always help you win.

Last year, Ty Rodgers was that guy for me, instantly. Sure, it was difficult to watch defenses leave him wide open, and he wasn't quite the post defender we wanted him to be. But he played with fire--controlled fire. He started all 38 games for Illinois last year, which is remarkable since he didn't really have a position. Too small for a 4 or 5, too lousy a shooter for a 2 or a 3, not quite good enough with the handle for a 1. And yet he made the Illini better every time he was on the floor. It wasn't surprising he was from Michigan and almost went to Michigan State; the Izzo vibes waft off him. He was like a sane, likable Draymond Green. After Illinois lost to Connecticut in the Elite Eight, I was sad because I knew Shannon, and Domask, and probably Hawkins, were all leaving. I didn't know what this team would be next. But I did feel reassured it would be all right. Because Ty would still be there. He was the perfect transitional piece.

Until, minutes before the opener against EIU, he suddenly wasn't. Learning that Rodgers was redshirting was the season's first, and still biggest, WTF? moment. When you thought about it, it did make some sense, particularly after watching him struggle in the preseason game against Mississippi; he looked out of place and a little confused, and his inability to shoot clearly messed up the spacing that this team obviously was built around having. But redshirting? We learned from the Sencire Harris situation last year that redshirting essentially meant goodbye. This was a guy who started every game for an extremely fun and good Illini team. This was my favorite player. I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

And it turned out: I didn't have to. One of the more underappreciated subplots of this Illinois basketball season has been getting to watch Rodgers' celebrate on the Illini bench. This is a guy who, again, was an indispensable player on a Big Ten-title-winning, Elite Eight-reaching team who was essentially told, hours before the next season's opener, that there is no longer a place for you on this team thanks to all these guys who just showed up to campus, like, two months ago. And not only did he not sulk, he bought in entirely. Nobody looks more invested in this team than Rodgers. He's engaged, he's fired up, he's reportedly quite helpful behind the scenes and, perhaps most impressively, he looks happy. He has had a full year of his athletic career--his life doing the one thing he has ever known, since he was a little kid--taken away from him, and he isn't just making the best of it, he's actively helping. He's the first guy off the bench to high-five his teammates, you see him working with Underwood all the time, he is screaming and jumping in the locker room after wins just like everybody else. (Actually, because he's Ty Rodgers, he's jumping higher.) He is a part of this team. He's just not playing.

Earlier this year, BTN's Andy Katz reported that Rodgers may be planning to return to Illinois next year, once he has rounded out his game. To be honest, I don't entirely buy it. He will have many opportunities to play elsewhere, and make money--a whole bunch of teams will want to pay for a guy who started 38 games for an Elite Eight team. I know what college basketball is now, and I accept it; I want what is best for him. But, for what it's worth ... wouldn't that be amazing? If Rodgers did return next year? He doesn't owe Illinois anything. He can, and should, do whatever is best for him. But it would nevertheless be incredible. What if he just showed up with a reliable jumper, forged in the gym after a full year of focusing on it? I'm going to dream on it either way.

No matter what happens, though, I cheer every time I see Rodgers on the bench. He was an integral part of last year's team. He's an integral part of this one too. Seeing him makes me feel like we have something special, and cool. Ty Rodgers is my guy--in uniform, or not.

As always, these rankings are ridiculous, uninformed and written primarily as a nervous tic. There may be nothing I think about more than the Illinois men's basketball team. My name is Will Leitch, a contributing editor at New York magazine, a regular columnist at The Washington Post, national correspondent for MLB.com and author of seven books, including the novels How Lucky, The Time Has Come and the upcoming Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride, which comes out next May and I would not be against you pre-ordering, were you to feel so inclined. I also write a free weekly newsletter about parenthood and living through these tumultuous times that you might enjoy: You can find it here. I am (somehow, still) perhaps best known as being the founder of the late sports website Deadspin, though I’d prefer you think of me as “former Daily Illini sports editor” and "forever Mattoon Green Wave."

Thank you for letting me scratch this itch once again.

11 and 12. AJ Redd, Keaton Kutcher (previously: 11, 12).
I don't have anything to say about the walk-ons this week, so can we talk about this guy?

Anybody know this feller? Someone has to know him, right? He's behind the broadcasters every game, and he never fails to give a yep-I'm-on-your-TV smirk. I am predisposed to love unconditionally anyone who wears an Illini hoodie and orange shoes to every basketball game, but I will confess that this gentlemen--who I have to think is a big donor, considering those seats--is pushing that premise to its theoretical limit. I actually find myself relieved when it's a Big Ten Network broadcast rather than an FS1, because the BTN one cuts off the top of his head, limiting my exposure to his relentless mugging.

Look, man: You're an Illini fan, and a big one, which means you're all right by me. But, buddy, you gotta treat your TV cameos like Barry Sanders treated touchdowns. You gotta act like you've been there before.

Also, while I'm complaining, we really need to stop the "I-L-L!" prompts from the public address announcer during home games. We're all grownups here, we can start our own call-and-response chants, thank you very much. That's the fans' thing, not the school's. I thought it felt strained and little desperate during football season, and it's even worse during basketball season. I will make sure to bring this up to Josh Whitman the next time I smoke him in the Game Day Run Club, like I do every time.

That's me on the far right, in front of Whitman, as usual.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

10. Carey Booth (previously: 10).
A jaw-dropping statistic for you: Carey Booth led Notre Dame in rebounds last year. I am not making that up. The Maryland game--in which he looked so helpless and wan that I was legitimately worried that Julian Reese was going to use him to floss--sure feels like the last straw for Booth. If he isn't going to be helpful in a game in which Ivisic isn't able to play and you're facing two huge dudes who could really use a 6-foot-10 guy to at least stand in their way occasionally, he's never going to be helpful. It is very telling that he didn't even get one minute against Northwestern. He can't guard, he can't rebound, and, oh yeah, he can't shoot either: He's now 5-for-23 from 3-point range this year. Here are your Carey Booth stats for the season: Seven field goals, six turnovers, eight personal fouls. Where's he going to play next year? Who will have him? I'm betting he ends up closer to his dad (who runs the Denver Nuggets), maybe, like, Colorado State or something. He's eventually going to win the Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk award for "guy you notice playing on ESPNU and realize you hadn't thought about him in two years." At least Bosmans-Verdonk has some muscle tone.

9. Tomislav Ivisic (previously: 3).
This is probably where we should put him until he's ready to come back. I have been enjoying pretending to be a doctor and trying to figure out what stage he is in his recovery from mono by watching him on the bench. He looked like death warmed over against Maryland, but he appeared to be a little better against Northwestern, though he sure was eating that popcorn super slowly. I'm glad we don't have any more games against Maryland without him; all the games until, really, Michigan State seem like they've got manageable big men that Morez (and Jake Davis) will handle just fine. A drained-of-his-entire-essence Ivisic is still a better matchup underneath than Carey Booth.

Anyway: Mono! Sheesh! I blame RFK Jr.

8. Will Riley (previously: 6).
The real question with Riley: Is the fact that he has now mostly plummeted off draft boards entirely mean he's going to come back to Illinois ... or is he going to transfer? Going pro feels like a massive risk for him at this point, even with all the obvious skills and projectibles. The fact is, no matter how natural your game is, no matter how quick you are, no matter how much you can create your own shot, if you can't make 3-pointers--particularly the wide-open ones KJ keeps creating for him--there's no place for you in the NBA, or in any late-game rotation. The Michigan State heater was encouraging, but we've seen nothing sustainable since, and he was in fact pretty dreadful in the second half of that game. I'm encouraged by how he sees the floor--he's actually fourth on the team in assists, and he'll probably pass Ivisic for third on Thursday--and he's starting to get smarter about cutting to the basket. But he has to hit some 3-pointers. He will at some point, I have no doubt. But will he do it in time for this season? And if not ... will it happen for him at Illinois at all?

7. Jake Davis (previously: 9).
Here's another problem: I trust Davis more than I trust Riley right now, which is a remarkable thing to say. Davis has a little bit of that Rodgers thing, actually, of always seeming to be in the right place at the right time. I like how good he is at subtly bumping a guy low when he's fighting for a rebound, giving him just enough space to grab it. He gets called for a foul for it sometimes, but they can't always call it. Also, the jumper is smooth and efficient and, most of all, quick: He doesn't need that much space to get open in the corner. I'm on board with him, even if I still could do without the manbun. Also, does anybody else yell "JAKEDAVIS!" every time he's about to shoot? No? You should start, it's fun.

6. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (previously: 7).
This is an excellent, if still-inconsistent, Illinois team, one I think has a higher ceiling than last year's team and, as we've seen on multiple occasions now, a clearly lower floor. But one way it's definitely different than last year's? It doesn't have the obvious and reliable "holy cow here it comes this is going to be awesome" play that last year's team: When Terrence Shannon Jr. came barreling down the court on a fast break, you got out of your seat in anticipation and leapt in the air with a fist pump when he threw one down. It was very exciting. This team doesn't really have that: Other than the cool KJ stepback 3-pointer and the occasional Morez thunder dunk, this team is more modern and efficient than electrifying. It's smart to get spacing and shoot a bunch of threes, but it's not always that thrilling to watch. (Particularly when the shots aren't falling, which is, uh, happening more than I was told it would!) The exception? That moment when you realize DGL is about to take it to the hoop. He starts spinning around, like a running back in Madden, and it becomes clear he is not going to be denied. It's the one real wild-card play the Illini have, and I hoot and holler every time he lays one in, or even dunks one. (And especially when he gets fouled.) I still don't trust him running the point, but he's the ultimate microwave player--the guy we thought Riley would be, all told. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him win a tournament game for us by himself.

5. Tre White (previously: 4).
He has slumped a little bit lately, but I wonder if that's more because of how unsettled the rotation has been: He has a tendency to try to do too much when he feels like he has to, like he surely has over the last fortnight. Generally speaking, every time White is dribbling, I'm nervous; every time he's cutting to the basket or setting up to shoot an open three, I'm calm. My only real question is about his Joker tattoo. There are lots of basketball players with the Heath Ledger Joker tattoo, but White's the first one I've seen with the Joaquin Phoenix version. I wonder: Has he seen the awful Joker sequel? If he has, I bet he regrets that tattoo. I find myself cringing every time I see it. It is not gonna age well. Though I guess most tattoos don't.

4. Kylan Boswell (previously: 2).
Did I drop Boswell two spots just because I'm going insane watching him shoot those contested threes 10 seconds into the shot clock? Not entirely, but partly! There was a stretch there where Boswell and KJ were vibing in the backcourt together, but it hasn't quite been the same since KJ missed those two games; Boswell has been out of sync, and, worrisomely, prone to some very strange decisions with the ball. More surprising, he's been getting beat off the dribble and (especially) on screens a lot more lately. There was a time when Boswell was a full-on lock-down defender, like a cornerback who takes the other team's best receiver out of the game. We haven't seen that for a while. I'd like that guy to return. The good news: This was a 38 percent 3-point shooter for his career before this season. He's currently at a woeful 25 percent. He can shoot: He just isn't doing so right now. (Like a lot of guys.) At some point, he's going to start draining threes again, and this offense is going to open up in an entirely new way. I wonder if this next week is when it starts.

3. Ben Humrichous (previously: 8).
I am going to remind you what I wrote about Humrichous in the most recent version of these rankings, because I really have to own it:

I ... I think I'm out? The problem is not that he needs to be shooting better than 34 percent from three. The problem is that even if he were shooting the 41 percent he shot for Evansville last year--which we never should have expected anyway considering the leap in competition--he gives up so much on defense that it still wouldn't make up for it. He's bigger than Luke Goode was, but he's certainly not tougher than Goode was, and you can tell: He just gets knocked around underneath, and you can see other team's fours, even guys who aren't even all that big, licking their chops when they can isolate him in the post. (Which every team's coach designs plays specifically to do. Repeatedly.) I understand that the offense, theoretically anyway, works better when you've got a big wing who can shoot. But that feels like November 2024 thinking rather than January 2025 thinking. We've seen a whole bunch of this now. Humrichous seems like a nice kid, and I know we spent a lot for him in the portal. But this isn't working. All Underwood's defenses of him aside, his minutes have been slowly dwindling over the last month. I wouldn't be stunned to see them, after a couple of months of Big Ten games, evaporate entirely.

The very night I wrote that, Humrichous went 4-for-7 from three against Oregon in what is still the team's most complete performance of the year. So you're welcome.

But yes: This is why all us haters were wrong, why Underwood stuck with him, why he was never going to fall out of the starting lineup. The offense just works so much better when he's in there draining threes, and while his percentage still isn't all that great--though he's up to 36 percent, now second on the team--it's obvious defenses respect him, which just opens up everything else. He still needs to have his feet set, and I don't love his booty ball game, but when he has time and he is open, he's absolute nails. Even more encouraging: He's gotten tougher on defense and on the boards. He does resemble Luke Goode now, but better, and less prone to dirty plays. (And obviously wearing a much better uniform.) By the way, on the Luke Goode front: It's pretty wild to see a former Illini player seemingly the only guy on Indiana's team who cares about anything. I'm kind of glad Indiana doesn't return to the SFC this year: I'd rather us the Krush not boo him. Save that for Skyy Clark in a couple of weeks.

Anyway, again, you're welcome for insulting Ben Humrichous and thus getting him going. Get ready for the Carey Booth heater, apparently.

2. Morez Johnson Jr. (previously: 5).
I bet what happened to him against Maryland--in which he basically had to defend two monsters all by himself--is the best thing that could have happened. Because I bet that never happens again. He's tough, he's athletic, he's smart and he's obviously extremely coachable: He responds to challenges precisely like you want him too. Also, it's not a coincidence he has been called for fewer fouls lately: Refs are catching on and giving him the respect they previously weren't giving the freshman. (Particularly because, uh, those weren't fouls.) Look at how comfortable he is, not just under the basket, but driving to it. This is a future All-Big Ten player. It may well happen next year. It's going to get better soon, because he and Ivisic had just started to figure out a two-man game that is going to be extremely difficult to guard in a way not dissimilar to what Michigan is doing with Goldin and Wolf. Johnson is the truth, man.

Also, a shoutout here to Efrem Winters, an Illini great who died this week. He was on the first Illini team I ever watched, the 1983-84 team that made an eight-year-old Will Leitch cry like a baby after this play.

Winters gave an interview about that play 15 years ago:

“I always think about the Kentucky game,’’ Winters said. “People bring it up all the time. The Kentucky game? What happened? What if you would have won that game?’’

Same, Efrem, same. Rest in power, friend.

1. Kasparas Jakucionis (previously: 1).
The turnovers are frustrating. But they're still worth it. (And they're starting to get cleaned up a little bit anyway.) I'm more excited for the NBA Draft this year than I have been at any time since the Jazz took Deron. I still don't think we've seen the best KJ is going to be this year. I'm telling you: If he goes on a Kemba Walker-esque NCAA Tournament run, remember who put that pea in your brain first. (Me. It was me.)

Will Leitch is a contributing editor at New York Magazine, columnist for The Washington Post, national columnist for MLB, and the founder of the late sports website Deadspin. Subscribe to his free weekly newsletter and buy his novels “How Lucky,” and "The Time Has Come” from Harper Books. And pre-order his next book, "Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride," which will be released on May 20, 2025.