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Illinois Basketball: Minutes breakdown for Illini guards

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the basketballs on the ball racks before the start of the McDonalds All-American Powerade Jamfest at the Chicago Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the basketballs on the ball racks before the start of the McDonalds All-American Powerade Jamfest at the Chicago Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois basketball
Mar 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the basketballs on the ball racks before the start of the McDonalds All-American Powerade Jamfest at the Chicago Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The Illinois basketball team has a nice stable of guards they will unleash this upcoming season.

With this much talent coming into the program at the guard position, the Illini needed a head coach who could use them to their fullest potential. That is one of the reasons why Josh Whitman hired Oklahoma State head coach, Brad Underwood.

Underwood took a team who struggled to hit double-digit wins the year before to the NCAA tournament in year one. He orchestrated a great turnaround of a traditionally good program. Having that on his resume helped him get the job in Champaign as well.

In addition to the success, Underwood has a great handle on how to use guards in his rotations. His teams in the past have all been guard heavy and he has been to the postseason every year he has been a head coach in Division I basketball.

This season is going to be similar to those in the past. The best players on the team will be guards and Underwood will need to figure out the minutes each one will play and how to use them. This is where he shines, though.

Here is a breakdown of how the guards will be used this season.

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