Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini roster with two scholarships remaining

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 30: The Lou Henson signature is seen on the court before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 3 Guard/Forward

Starter: Ayo Dosunmu

Illinois needed another big-time player at the guard spot to help make up for some deficiencies in the paint. They received that player with the addition of Ayo Dosunmu.

Dosunmu was the prized recruit the Illini landed back in November 2017. He is rated as a five-star guard who is the No. 27 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois. Landing Dosunmu has been the best get for Brad Underwood by a long shot.

Some people may argue with this, but I would slot Dosunmu at the No. 3 spot. I tend to make this more of a guard spot than a forward spot, but you can interpret it any way you want. I think having a three-guard starting lineup would be beneficial to the Illini. Dosunmu would bring a great element to the floor. He is a pretty good floor general, he can shoot the ball well and he can get to the basket and finish. All three are great assets. I see him being the starting No. 3 for the Illini next season.

Backup: Aaron Jordan

I have Aaron Jordan as the backup to Dosunmu heading into next season. The start of the previous campaign was amazing for Jordan. He shot the ball well and was very effective. But, that wore off and he leveled out during the Big Ten Conference slate.

I think Jordan could be an important piece for the Illini next season. He has good shooting ability, and I could see him backing up Dosunmu. Last year, Jordan finished fifth on the team in scoring with 7.9 points per game. He also added 3.1 rebounds per game as well. This would be a nice one-two punch for the Illini.

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