No. 5 Forward/Center
Starter: Anthony Higgs
Honestly, the No. 5 position is all dependent on whether or not Samba Kane can become eligible for his freshman season. But, if he doesn’t become eligible, I think new commit Anthony Higgs is likely to step into the starting role.
Higgs committed to Illinois on Tuesday over a handful of other programs. He was projected to go to Virginia Tech but shocked the recruiting world when he picked the Illini. Higgs is a three-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 375 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 87 small forward in the nation. I am excited to see what this kid can do for the program.
Next: 3 Illini recruiting headlines this week
Backup: Giorgi Bezhanishvili
I think a wildcard on this Illinois basketball team is Giorgi Bezhanishvili. He is a 6-foot-9, 230-pound big man from St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 317 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 54 power forward in the nation.
Looking at who was recruiting each player, I made Higgs the starter based on the want from other programs. There were some pretty big teams after his services. But, that may mean Bezhanishvili is underrated. He could be a really good player. I hope he proves the doubters wrong and becomes the starter for Illinois.