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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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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 14: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) slam dunks during a Big Ten Tournament game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 14, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 4 Forward

Starter: Giorgi Bezhanishvili

I can’t wait to see what Giorgi Bezhanishvili does during his sophomore season this year. He has a chance to be such a special player, but that also could mean he departs early from the program.

I would be surprised if Giorgi finishes all four years with the Illini. I think he has a good year this upcoming season and then plays his junior year in 2020-2021. After that, I see him departing the program for the NBA. But I have Giorgi as the starting No. 4 for the Illini in 2020-2021. He will be one of the solid leaders on this team and someone who can put up a lot of points.

Backup: Coleman Hawkins

The new commitment for the Illini is Coleman Hawkins. It was kind of hard to determine where he would fit in between the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, but I picked Hawkins as the primary back up to Giorgi at the No. 4 spot.

I think Hawkins is going to be a good player for the Illini. He can come in and play minutes in year one. After Giorgi departs, Hawkins can then step into the starting role for the Illini. He has the ability to be special player for the program, and I can’t wait to see him develop.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

Another new player for the Illini this upcoming season is Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. I am curious to see what he brings to the table this season. He has good size, and Illinois needed more big bodies in the paint.

I don’t expect too much from Bosmans-Verdonk. He is projected as a solid player, and having him play early minutes is a good thing. I would like to feed him a few minutes per game this season to see what he can do.

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