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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup after losing Giorgi Bezhanishvili

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 14, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) reacts to the crowd during a stop in play against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) reacts to the crowd during a stop in play against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 26: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball as Khristian Lander #4 and Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers defend at State Farm Center on December 26, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 26: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball as Khristian Lander #4 and Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers defend at State Farm Center on December 26, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 3 Guard/Forward

Starter: Jacob Grandison

Despite Jacob Grandison playing the No. 4 spot last season, I have him still moving to the No. 3 spot for the Illini in 2021-22. Grandison was a great go-to option when we needed a spark. He started on the bench with Da’Monte Williams starting for the program but quickly earned the starting job over Williams midway through the year.

I see Grandison continuing to hold that starting job entering this upcoming season. He is a great utility player who isn’t going wow you every night, but there will be some big games in there. He will have a few 10 points and 10 rebounds type of nights. On average, though, I want to see 5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in each game. That is what I look for out of Grandison.

Backup: Scholarship #2

As a backup to Grandison, I want to use the second of three scholarships Illinois has available. Depth has taken a huge hit this offseason, so adding a solid No. 3 as the backup to Grandison would be optimal right now.

This might sound crazy, but give me Brandin Podziemski in this situation. If we could snag Podziemski from the class of 2021, this would give Illinois so much flexibility with the No. 2 and No. 3 roles. Podziemski is an under-the-radar kid from Wisconsin. He is one of the best players in the Midwest and would make an impact on the Illini in year one. His 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame is solid, but his shooting is what gets me pumped for his future. He would be an integral part of this team next season.

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