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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini starting lineup with Coleman Hawkins

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 18: Trent Frazier #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball while being guarded by D’Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half at the Kohl Center on February 18, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 18: Trent Frazier #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball while being guarded by D’Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half at the Kohl Center on February 18, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

No. 1 Guard

Starter: Trent Frazier

It really is hard to tell what the 2020-2021 roster is going to look like because it is all dependent on how well the Illini play and recruit. But I believe Trent Frazier could end up starting at the No. 1 guard spot for the Orange and Blue.

In my opinion, Frazier is more of a No. 2 guard, but Illinois is going to go through some major changes at the No. 1 guard role with Ayo Dosunmu and Andres Feliz both likely leaving. I think Frazier will be able to adapt to handling the ball more, though. He reminds of James Harden in that way. He can shoot the ball from anywhere but if the coach needs him to be something else, he can adapt and become whatever the team needs him to be.

Backup: Austin Hutcherson

Again, it is tough to see how the guard role will develop over the next season, but if we go with the roster we have right now, I would slot Austin Hutcherson in as the main backup to Trent Frazier at the No. 1 guard role.

Hutcherson might have the most natural guard playing ability on the team behind Frazier. He averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his final season with Wesleyan University. I expect some of those numbers to transfer over to the DI ranks. While he does stand at 6-foot-6, I will be curious to see how Brad Underwood uses him this season.

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