No. 5 Center/Forward
Starter: Kofi Cockburn
It was one of the best sports weekends I have had in a long time when Kofi Cockburn announced his decision to return to Illinois for at least one more year. This was a decision that not only changed the Illinois roster, but it also changed the college basketball landscape.
Kofi returns and is easily going to be the starting No. 5 for the Illinois basketball team. He averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a true freshman. Those numbers are only going to increase this season. I see his points slightly increasing, but do not be surprised if he averages a double-double and gets his blocks above two per game. This kid is a first-round NBA Draft pick.
Backup: Giorgi Bezhanishvili
The depth at the No. 5 spot would be insane too. Since Kofi came back, I would have Giorgi Bezhanishvili as the primary backup. This would be amazing for the Illini because Giorgi has so much experience on the court.
I honestly believe that Giorgi could come in and play either the No. 4 or No. 5 spots. It would not surprise me to see both Giorgi and Kofi on the court at the same time. I do expect to see an uptick in Girogi’s numbers, though. He only averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds last season. Those numbers should increase.
Backup: Jermaine Hamlin
Jermaine Hamlin was a crucial player last season who came in for Kofi when he needed a rest. He averaged 4.1 minutes per game, and I see that being the case this year too.
Hamlin is not going to be expected to do much on the court. I have him as the second backup at the No. 5 spot for the Illini. He should be a player who sees most of his time when we are blowing teams out of the water.
Backup: Brandon Lieb
Illinois was able to land another big man this summer. Brandon Lieb will make an impact on the Illinois basketball team sometime in the future. But it will not be this season.
Lieb is most likely going to take a redshirt this year. That makes the most sense because he would not see the court otherwise. I think Lieb has a great shot and will be a good player. A redshirt would be his best option right now, though.