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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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CHAMPAIGN, IL – MARCH 08: Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Da’Monte Williams #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini face off during the game at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – MARCH 08: Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Da’Monte Williams #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini face off during the game at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Guard/Forward

Starter: Da’Monte Williams

Pretty much every season leading up to this upcoming campaign, I have slotted Da’Monte Williams as a backup to the starters. But this season will be different. Williams was a starter for the majority of last year, and I think he will be a big-time starter for the Illini in his final year with the team.

Williams has developed into a defensive specialist for the Orange and Blue. He has been able to lock down the opposing offense, and this has helped the Illini win games. But he also started to develop some confidence on the offensive end too. He found his spot multiple games down the stretch and was hitting three-point shots. Don’t be surprised if Williams starts every game for Illinois this upcoming season at the No. 4 spot.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

There are a couple of question marks on the current Illinois roster. This past season, we didn’t get to see much of Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. But he was touted as an athletic freak who could do some damage on the court. I think he could be a solid backup at the No. 4 spot.

Bosmans-Verdonk only managed to play in nine games during his freshman season. I assume he took a redshirt, so he will still be a freshman this upcoming campaign. In the short time we did get to see him, Bosmans-Verdonk averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. I can’t wait to see what he can do with a full season under his belt.

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