Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini roster breakdown for 2017-18
![Feb 18, 2017; Iowa City, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (5) shoots the ball as Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cordell Pemsl (35) defends during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Illinois won 70-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Feb 18, 2017; Iowa City, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (5) shoots the ball as Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cordell Pemsl (35) defends during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Illinois won 70-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/71d95b38812eaa8d838593650b46c90e66589998df7896f3fa2a586586a5f45c.jpg)
No. 3 Guard/Forward
Starter: Kipper Nichols
One of the great surprises this season was the emergence of Kipper Nichols. He was a transfer from Tulane that was eligible to play after the first semester.
Nichols came into a rotation that still wasn’t set a third of the way through the year and made a huge impact day one. He ended up finishing the season averaging 13.6 minutes, 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
I could see Nichols getting the start in the No. 3 spot for the Illini. He is extremely athletic and he has a nice shot from just about anywhere on the court. This is the type of player Underwood dreams of on his basketball team.
Backup: Javon Pickett
Just like Da’Monte Williams, Javon Pickett is another underrated recruit coming in from the class of 2017. He has some serious talent and a wingspan that will impress even NBA scouts.
Pickett is only a three-star in the recruiting ranks but he has really come on the scene a lot over the last year. He has impressed in many high school tournaments and really developed into a scary good player.
I could see Pickett coming in as the backup to Nichols day one. He has that much talent where I could see him getting minutes early on in his career.