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Illinois Basketball: Illini entering 2020-21 season with full roster

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 11: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leans on the scorers table during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on December 11, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 11: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leans on the scorers table during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on December 11, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Just a few weeks ago, Illini fans weren’t sure how the roster would fill out for the upcoming 2020-21 campaign.

There were a couple of scholarships left on the Illinois basketball team and we had two of the biggest stars in the game still deciding their future. The answer to the question came within the same weekend, as Illinois returned both Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.

Having Ayo and Kofi both return to the Illinois lineup sent shockwaves through the college basketball world, but it also finished out the roster for the Orange and Blue. Illinois now has the full allotted 13 scholarships filled with these two giants coming back.

All 13 of the scholarship players on the roster right now will play a role on the team moving forward. It is not like we have a few bottom-tier scholarship players on the team. They are all talented recruits. This might not seem like an accomplishment, but I believe it is the only time Brad Underwood has had a full roster going into a season.

In 2017-18, Underwood had 11 scholarship players. He had 12 scholarship players in 2018-19. And, last season, he once again had 11 scholarship players. These are numbers that I believe are correct. With that being said, having all 13 scholarships accounted for is an accomplishment that all Illinois fans are witnessing for the first time with Underwood.

Filling all 13 spots on the team is extremely important and should help this Illinois basketball team more than people probably realize. In years past, the Illini have dealt with depth issues that caused their play to dramatically decline. Those depth issues are pretty much completely gone for the upcoming season.

Who would you say was the “worst” scholarship player on the team? I would probably say Jermaine Hamlin takes this one, but when I say “worst” I am not meaning he is a bad player. I think the Illini just have a talented team. But if Hamlin is the bottom for the Orange and Blue, then this team is set up to do something special things come March.

Next. Illini lineup with Ayo and Kofi returning. dark

Illinois is going to be at least two-deep at every position, plus we have a few extra players to come in and spell minutes. Underwood has this team set up for success now and into the future. This is going to be special.

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