Illinois Basketball: 3 reasons why Bryce Hopkins should pick the Illini

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 07: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) looks across the court during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 7, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. The No. 4 spot is wide open

Bryce Hopkins is one of the best players in the nation. This kid should be starting for just about every program in the country. Illinois would be able to provide that to the big-time forward.

When 2021-2022 rolls around, the Illini roster is going to look different. We will have a few players depart the program like Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and Trent Frazier. The departure of players will make Brad Underwood shift the roster around a little bit.

With Kofi going to the NBA after his sophomore season, I would then shift Giorgi Bezhanishvili over to the starting No. 5 spot for the Illini. With Kofi and Da’Monte Williams departing the program, this leaves a massive need for someone to fill the No. 4 spot.

Options for the No. 4 spot would include Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and Coleman Hawkins, but both of these players have not proved anything on the basketball court just yet. So, that leaves the door wide open for Hopkins to come in and start from day one.

Hopkins has the size to be the starting No. 4 for the Illini right now. This will be a weak spot for the current team and it will only continue to get weaker if someone like Hopkins doesn’t join the program. Landing this kid would help complete the roster and make us title contenders.

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