I’ve Seen Enough. Quentin Coleman Is the Guy.

Illinois lost to Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The Illini missed free throws, got beat up on the glass, and found themselves staring at a 20-point halftime deficit.

And somehow, I walked away from that game more excited about this team than I was before it started.

Why?

Quentin Coleman.

I’ve seen enough. He’s the guy.

There are certain basketball players who just jump off the screen. It’s hard to explain exactly what it is. It’s not always about how many points they score or what the box score says. Some guys just play with a certain energy, a certain confidence, that makes you stop and pay attention.

Texas Tech’s Cruz Davis is one of those players. I watched him at Hofstra last season and couldn’t understand how he wasn’t playing for a more high profile team. He had that *it* factor. Watching him Tuesday night, it was easy to see why he’s now playing on a bigger stage.

Quentin Coleman gave me that same feeling.

Every time he touched the ball, I wanted to see what he was going to do next. He can shoot, he can pass, he’s athletic, and he sees the floor incredibly well. But more than anything, he plays with a confidence that you don’t typically see from a freshman this early in his college career.
He doesn’t just look like a talented young player. He looks like a star.
And I’m willing to go a step further. I think we’re watching a future top-10 NBA Draft pick.

I can agree that watching the Tech game was absolutely frustrating. You can’t get dominated on the glass, miss free throws, and dig yourself a 20-point hole against a good basketball team and expect to win. Those things have to get cleaned up.

But it’s a November road loss against a ranked out of conference opponent.

Texas Tech is a good team. Grant McCasland is a great coach. Davis is a terrific player, and the Red Raiders have plenty of talent around him. They played well, Illinois didn’t, and the Illini still managed to fight their way back into the game before ultimately coming up short.

I think that says something, too.

Preseason All-American David Mirkovic will return at some point which will certainly help the rebounding and just help stabilize the offense in general.

The goal was never to go undefeated in November. The goal is to be the last team standing in April.
Games like Tuesday’s are part of that process. You get punched in the mouth, you figure out what went wrong, and you get better. I’d much rather see Illinois tested by good teams early than cruise through November without learning anything about itself.

And if we’re talking about what we learned Tuesday night, here’s my biggest takeaway.

Illinois has its guy.

Coming into this season, there was a legitimate question about who would emerge as the star of this team. Illinois brought back plenty of talent from last year’s Final Four squad, but replacing a player like Keaton Wagler isn’t easy.

I’m not saying Coleman is Wagler. He doesn’t have to be.

I’m saying Coleman has the talent, the personality, and the game to become the next great Illinois basketball player.

Sometimes you don’t need an entire season to recognize what you’re watching.

Illinois lost to Texas Tech on Tuesday night.

Quentin Coleman announced himself.

And I can’t wait to see what he does next.