**Illinois’ Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Poised for Breakout Season**
The Illinois Fighting Illini opened their season with a dominant 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois on Monday. While freshman Will Riley stole the spotlight with a stellar debut, sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn also turned heads with an impressive performance.
Gibbs-Lawhorn played more minutes than he had in any game last season and made the most of his opportunity, scoring 21 points, hitting 4-of-8 three-pointers, and contributing defensively. Known for his confidence in taking shots, Dra has always been aggressive with his attempts, and last season he appeared in 28 games. In most of those games, he made sure to take at least one three-pointer, with only three exceptions. One of the highlights from last season was watching him come in late in games to get his shot off.
The key for Gibbs-Lawhorn’s progression this season will be turning those attempts into successful shots. Although he took about one three-pointer per game last year, his shooting percentage was just 22%. With more playing time this season, he could improve on that efficiency.
Last year, Dra was a freshman on a veteran team dominated by seniors and graduate transfers, limiting his playing time. However, this year’s squad is much younger, and with the recent news that Ty Rodgers will redshirt, Gibbs-Lawhorn is one of just two returning players from last season who saw significant minutes. This presents Dra with a prime opportunity to step up and become one of Illinois’ go-to guards.
Head coach Brad Underwood will likely rely on Gibbs-Lawhorn’s familiarity with the system to take on more leadership, especially in a roster that lacks significant returning experience. As the team seeks to develop chemistry, Dra can play a key role by staying engaged on both ends of the floor and leading by example.
If Gibbs-Lawhorn can maintain his focus on improving his efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc, he will add a much-needed dimension to Illinois’ offense, which has struggled with consistent outside shooting in recent seasons. His 21-point performance in the season opener showed that he’s capable of being a valuable scoring option off the bench when he’s on target.
Gibbs-Lawhorn
For Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, the 2023-24 season marks a fresh start and a real chance to prove himself as a key contributor to Illinois basketball. Monday’s game was a glimpse of what he can do when given the opportunity, and if he continues to build on that momentum, he could become an integral part of the Illini’s rotation.
