Illinois Basketball: The Needs for the Class of 2017

Okay, Illinois basketball fans, I think it might be time to start thinking about the worst case scenario when it comes to snagging Jordan Goodwin.

Nothing has happened yet and Goodwin hasn’t put pen to paper, but let’s look at what would happen if he does choose Saint Louis.

Let’s look at what we will have in 2017 if everything ended right now.

Point Guard

The Illini will have one point guard in 2017. Te’Jon Lucas will be manning the ship by himself at the point and this is an issue.

Illinois needs another point guard and that is a must to finish off the class of 2017.

Shooting Guard

Jalen Coleman-Lands will probably be the starter for the Illini at the shooting guard position in 2017. This is one of the most solid positions on the team because he is so good.

Illinois Fighting Illini /

Illinois Fighting Illini

To backup JCL, Illinois has Aaron Jordan and Da’Monte Williams.

Honestly, I see Williams being the backup here for 2017. He comes in with top 100 skills but was injured much of his summer ball.

That would leave Jordan as the third man on the depth chart.

Jordan was up and down last season and I think that this upcoming year will tell a lot of how he will progress as a basketball player. This is not a bad backup by any means, though.

Small Forward

There isn’t a question mark here but this position is still up for grabs. I think Kipper Nichols could take the reins here but DJ Williams might have something to say about that.

If Nichols doesn’t start here it will likely be Williams.

Williams progressed nicely last season and I think he could take another step during this upcoming campaign. He should be a crucial piece to the Illini in 2017.

There will be times that John Groce will want to go smaller and quicker in 2017. This is where I think freshman Javon Pickett would come into play.

Pickett is more of a shooting guard but has solid height at 6-foot-4. I think there could be times that Pickett comes in for the small lineup. He also has the potential to be redshirted as well.

Power Forward

Leron Black will only be a junior when 2017 rolls around. He will likely be starting and this is a great option for the Illini.

I think Black is going to be a nightmare for opposing teams because he is an athletic freak. I also assume he will develop more as a player as well.

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Behind Black is going to be Michael Finke.

Finke is going to be a great option to spell some minutes for Black. I love how he can shoot and stretch the floor with his deep shooting ability.

Center

The only center that Illinois will have in 2017 is Jeremiah Tilmon. He is committed to the team from the class of 2017 and is the No. 19 recruit in the country.

Tilmon is a great player for the center position and he is going to need some rest at times, but he doesn’t have a backup.

A backup for Tilmon is a must for the class of 2017 as well.

So, this really lays out what Illinois is looking at right now. The only two positions that are true needs are point guard and center.

With this being the case, Illinois didn’t need Goodwin. I wanted him because I think he will be a really good player, but we didn’t need him.

Illinois needs a point guard and center. This is where Trent Frazier and Mayan Kiir come into play.

Frazier and Kiir are becoming increasingly important by the day. These are two players are needs for the Illini.

I have confidence that Frazier will come to Champaign considering what he has said the entire recruiting process.

But, I am still not sure where Kiir stands on visits and where the Illini are on his list.

Next: Jordan Goodwin Could Be Slipping

This is a map of what the Illinois basketball team is looking at right now as far as 2017 is concerned. While we didn’t get Goodwin, it is not the end of the world and We Will Win.

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