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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup without Kofi Cockburn

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 18: Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) grabs a rebound during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 18, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 18: Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) grabs a rebound during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 18, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 10: Adam Miller drives to the basket during the Nike Academy Showcase Game on August 10, 2019 at the Los Angeles Southwest College in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 3 Guard

Starter: Adam Miller

The class of 2020 is exciting. I can’t wait to see what these players will do to help Illinois get back to the postseason. The leader of the incoming class is Adam Miller. He is coming in with a lot of accolades at the high school level and should be an instant impact player.

Miller ended up being a McDonald’s All-American snub during his senior season. But he was able to win the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year for the second time in a row. That is an impressive feat. He was the No. 33 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 7 shooting guard. Look for Miller to start day one at the No. 3 spot. Illinois will essentially have two ace shooting guards at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots and both from the same high school.

Backup: Jacob Grandison

Illinois was able to land two transfers last season. I already mentioned Austin Hutcherson as the backup at the No. 2 spot. The other transfer who came into the program was Jacob Grandison. He transferred in from Holy Cross College and should be a great option as the backup No. 3 for the Illini.

Grandison improved on his numbers from his freshman year to his sophomore campaign. He finished his final year with Holy Cross averaging 13.9 points, 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Those are solid numbers, and he seems like a well-rounded player. I can’t wait to see what he can do coming off the bench.

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