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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup without Alan Griffin & Tevian Jones

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 01: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini salutes the fans following the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center on March 1, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 01: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini salutes the fans following the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center on March 1, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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LADERA RANCH, CA – JULY 19: NY Jayhawks guard Andre Curbelo dribbles up the court during the adidas Gauntlet Finale on July 19, 2018 at the Ladera Sports Center in Ladera Ranch, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 1 Guard

Starter: Andre Curbelo (FR)

With the current Illinois roster, I have incoming freshman Andre Curbelo starting at the No. 1 guard spot. This is where he played mostly at the high school level, and I believe this is where he would fit in best with the Orange and Blue.

Coming out of Long Island Lutheran in New York, Curbelo was rated as a four-star recruit who was the No. 55 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 7 point guard in the nation. That means Illinois is getting a really good player if they could snag someone that high in the recruiting rankings. But you have to see it to believe it. If you watched some of Curbelo’s high school games, you would see this kid is ready for the next level. Mark my words, he will be one of the leaders on this Illini team in year one.

Backup: Austin Hutcherson (JR)

Depth is an issue for me when it comes to the Illini this upcoming season. Despite losing a couple of players to transfer and, maybe, one to the NBA, I think I would slot Austin Hutcherson in as the backup No. 1 guard.

Hutcherson transferred in last season and had to sit out a year. He is ready to suit up for this Illinois basketball program and has two years of eligibility remaining. In his final season with Wesleyan University, Hutcherson averaged 20 points while shooting 44.4-percent from the field and 39.2-percent from three-point range. If we could get half of that production, this Illini team could win the Big Ten.

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