No. 5 Center/Forward
Starter: Giorgi Bezhanishvili
The player I have starting at the No. 5 spot for the Illinois basketball team in 2021 is Giorgi Bezhanishvili. Yes, Giorgi will still be around when the 2021-22 campaign tips off, and I trust him enough to play the main big man role.
As a 6-foot-9, 245-pound big man, Giorgi is slightly undersized compared to the mammoth beast we have in the paint right now in Kofi Cockburn. But Kofi will likely depart after this season, leaving Giorgi to fend off Big Ten opponents around the hoop. If Illinois was able to sign another big man for 2021, I would then move Giorgi over to the starting No. 4 spot and have the incoming big man at the No. 5 spot. But, for now, Giorgi has the reins for the Illini.
Backup: Coleman Hawkins
The development of incoming big man Coleman Hawkins will be interesting to watch this season and into the future. Illinois was able to pull-in the often forgotten lengthy forward from the prestigious Prolific Prep in California.
Hawkins, standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing 195-pounds, has the chance to make an impact on this Illinois basketball team. I don’t think he will see much of the floor in year one, so he will probably redshirt. But, as a redshirt freshman, Hawkins has a chance to move up the roster. I have him as the primary backup at the No. 5 spot in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hawkins make a few starts at some position during the 2021-22 campaign as well.
Backup: Jermaine Hamlin
Illinois has a few solid depth pieces at the No. 5 spot moving forward. Jermaine Hamlin is one of those pieces. Some Illinois fans might have Hamlin more of a primary backup at the No. 5 spot, but I think Hawkins will take that role. But Hamlin should see a few minutes here and there.
Hamlin, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center, played sparingly behind Kofi as a true freshman. He didn’t take a redshirt and helped Kofi get a breather every once in a while. In the 16 games Hamlin saw as a freshman, he managed to rack up a total of 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Backup: Brandon Lieb
It isn’t easy to snag a solid recruit and be able to stash him away for a couple of years, but I believe that is going to be the case with incoming freshman, Brandon Lieb. He was an underrated get for this Illinois coaching staff and someone who could benefit the team down the road.
Lieb checks in at 6-foot-11, 205-pounds but has a shot that will enable him to see the floor. Year one for Lieb should be a redshirt season. This will let the talented big man get stronger and work on technical play down in the paint. For the 2021-22 campaign, he will be a redshirt freshman and won’t see much time. I see Lieb’s impact on this Illinois team being when he is a sophomore or junior. That is when this program is going to need him the most. But, for now, he should focus on building up the strength needed to play in the Big Ten.