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Illinois Basketball 2018 roster with top in-state recruits

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 28: Fans in the student section hop while cheering on the Illinois Fighting Illini against the Purdue Boilermakers on January 28, 2006 at the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 28: Fans in the student section hop while cheering on the Illinois Fighting Illini against the Purdue Boilermakers on January 28, 2006 at the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 27: Illinois Fighting Illinois fans cheer against the Michigan Wolverines during the game at Assembly Hall on January 27, 2013 in Champaign, Illinois. Michigan defeated Illinois 74-60. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

No. 2 Guard

Starter: Mark Smith

The home run recruit that Underwood landed for the class of 2017 was guard Mark Smith. This kid has so much talent, even the blue bloods were after him. But, he decided to stay home and help the in-state program win titles. That takes a lot of guts and I want someone like that to hitch my wagon too.

Smith beat out some other great players to win the Illinois Mr. Basketball award his senior season. That is such a prestigious honor and shows everyone he has what it takes to make it at the next level. Smith will likely start as the No. 2 guard on this team. He will be tremendous for this program and a player who will be loved for a lifetime.

Backup: Da’Monte Williams

This upcoming season is big for the Illinois basketball program as a collective unit. But, it is also important for incoming freshman Da’Monte Williams as well. This is a kid who had such a bright future until injuries struck him in high school. This derailed his final few years with Peoria Manual and dropped him in the recruiting rankings. Don’t underestimate him, though.

Williams will likely be a backup this upcoming season and in 2018. He has all the talent in the world and the sky is the limit, but the guard depth for the Illini will relegate him to the backup role. That isn’t a bad thing, though. He has a chance to learn the game while seeing some minutes. He will be a tremendous backup guard.

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