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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup with the RJ Melendez commitment

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) and Illinois Fighting Illini guard Da'Monte Williams (20) celebrate a three point basket in the first half against the Baylor Bears at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) and Illinois Fighting Illini guard Da'Monte Williams (20) celebrate a three point basket in the first half against the Baylor Bears at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois basketball
Nov 25, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) hits a three point shot during the second half against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 4 Guard/Forward

Starter: Jacob Grandison (R-SR)

Now we move onto the No. 4 spot. Honestly, this is where things get a little iffy in my book. I have the starter at the No. 4 spot to be Jacob Grandison. He took over for Da’Monte Williams a couple of weeks ago, and Brad Underwood hasn’t moved him back to the bench. So, I am putting Grandison as the starter.

I think next season we could see a timeshare, though. Grandison is a solid player who is giving it his all, but I think he is limited in what he can do on the court. His defensive prowess is improving each game, which is what Illinois relies on. Grandison should be a solid role player for the Illini next season.

Backup: Da’Monte Williams (GR-C)

As mentioned earlier, I think Illinois could have two players return who were seniors from the current squad. Trent Frazier was the first player, and I have him starting at the No. 2 guard spot. The other player is Da’Monte Williams. Both Frazier and Williams have been the heartbeat of this Illinois program.

While I have Williams listed as a backup, he will probably see starts and a ton of minutes next season if he decides to return. Limited offensively but a danger on the defensive end of the court, Williams is a classic role player. He isn’t going to wow you, but this kid is the glue that holds the ship together.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (R-SO)

The final piece at the No. 4 spot is Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. Many people thought Bosmans-Verdonk was going to come off his redshirt and contribute more as a redshirt freshman. That just hasn’t happened, though. He has only played in three games this season and hasn’t scored a point. I don’t expect to see him too much in the near future.

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