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Illinois Basketball: Projected 2020-21 Illini lineup if seniors get an extra year

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Kofi Cockburn #21 and Andres Feliz #10 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Kofi Cockburn #21 and Andres Feliz #10 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ – FEBRUARY 15: The logo of the Illinois Fighting Illini on the uniform shorts during in a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on February 15, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

No. 2 Guard

Starter: Adam Miller

Honestly, the actually starting lineup might not change too much. The biggest change could be at the No. 2 guard spot. This is where I have incoming freshman, Adam Miller, being fitted in. He should take over the role of Ayo Dosunmu, assuming he heads to the NBA.

Miller is a 6-foot-3, 170-pound shooting guard from Morgan Park High School and resides in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 33 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 7 shooting guard in the nation. He is also the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois.

I see Brad Underwood starting Miller from day one. I would imagine he was all but promised a starting job on this team. Don’t be shocked if there is a minutes share early on, though. Even with the most talented freshmen, there is a learning curve.

Backup: Alan Griffin

I had the hardest time finding a place to fit Alan Griffin. This kid has expanded his game so much this past season, so I wanted to put him in a starting role. But I don’t see Underwood switching up his lineup.

Despite Griffin not starting, he is going to get a ton of minutes. He has been averaging 18 minutes per game this season. I expect that to be roughly the same for his junior year too.

Backup: Jacob Grandison

I will be curious to see what Jacob Grandison can do for the Illini. He transferred into the program last season and had to sit out a year. He was sensational for Holy Cross, but I am not sure how much of that will correlate to Big Ten success. I have him as a solid reserve.

Backup: Austin Hutcherson

Another solid reserve for the Illini is going to be Austin Hutcherson. He transferred in from Wesleyan last season but had to sit out a year as well. Hutcherson has a lot of talent but, much like Grandison, I am not sure how it will translate. He should be a reserve too.

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