No. 2 Guard
Starter: Trent Frazier
One of the most exciting players I have ever seen suit up for the Orange and Blue is Trent Frazier. He is going to be a starter as long as he is with the Illinois basketball team. I have him as the starting No. 2 guard for the Illini.
This would be Frazier’s senior season. If he doesn’t go to the NBA after his junior year, I expect him to be a preseason All-American heading into his final year with the Illini. This kid has been sensational every season he has been in Champaign. Last year, he averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. I expect that production out of him the next two campaigns as well.
Backup: Alan Griffin
The development of Alan Griffin over the next three years will be fascinating. I think this kid has a lot of talent, but he didn’t show me enough of what he can do on the court last season. I want to see more playing time out of him this year, but I also have him as the backup to Frazier.
Griffin only managed to see 8.1 minutes per game during his freshman season. In that time, he averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. Those numbers need to improve and so does his efficiency. He only made his three-pointers at a clip of 30.4-percent. That is unacceptable. I look for Griffin to make an impact off the bench the next two seasons.