No. 1 Guard
Starter: Andre Curbelo (SO)
The starting No. 1 guard spot shouldn’t change despite David Jones not picking Illinois. I believe Andre Curbelo is going to see substantial minutes in year one and, as a sophomore, he should be ready to take the reins as the starting No. 1 guard for the Illini.
Curbelo, the 6-foot, 170-pound guard out of Long Island Lutheran, is ready to take the college basketball world by storm. I am not sure if I have ever seen a sub-40 player this ready to play the college game. Curbelo has everything you want in a leader. He can take over games with his scoring. He can make his teammates better with his court command. This kid is someone who can help this Illinois program reach the national title.
Backup: Rafael Pinzon (FR)
Illinois’ backcourt could be full of Long Island Lutheran players when 2021 rolls around. One under the radar player who I think could end up with the Orange and Blue is Rafael Pinzon. He would take one of the three scholarship spots available and be the primary backup in year one for Curbelo.
I love what Pinzon could bring the Illini. His 6-foot-5, 175-pound frame usually spells No. 2 guard, but I would slot him in as the backup No. 1 guard in year one. I would imagine Curbelo plays most of the minutes, but Pinzon could see action in multiple positions on the floor. I love what Pinzon can do on the court. He has tremendous speed end-to-end and can score at the rim. His ability to multitask on the court will help the Illini in various ways.