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Illinois Basketball: Roles of the five returning Illini players

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: Kipper Nichols #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at State Farm Center on January 30, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: Kipper Nichols #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at State Farm Center on January 30, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 30: Kipper Nichols #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at State Farm Center on January 30, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The Illinois basketball team is going to be extremely different next season.

There won’t be many of the usual faces that we have all been used to over the last three or four years. Michael Finke has departed to Grand Canyon to play his final season as a graduate transfer with his brother. Leron Black is trying to head to the NBA to make some money playing the game he loves. Te’Jon Lucas didn’t see a fit for him on this team with some talented guards coming in, so he is heading back to Milwaukee.

Illinois is losing a few more as well. Brad Underwood was tasked with filling these voids left by the departing players and putting together a class of 2018 that would make fans excited about the future. So far, I think he has accomplished that goal. He still has a few more scholarships he could fill or roll over to the class of 2019, though.

But, even with the departing players and the new recruits coming in, there is still some talent left over. There are five players returning from last year’s roster who will help this team in one way or another. These players will have certain roles on the team to fill.

Here are the roles of the five returning Illini players.

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