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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 – JANUARY 02: Coleman Hawkins #33 of the Illinois Fighting Illini passes the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 2, 2021 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 02: Coleman Hawkins #33 of the Illinois Fighting Illini passes the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 2, 2021 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Guard/Forward

Starter: Coleman Hawkins

And this is where the big change happens in the Illinois basketball lineup. Previously, I had Giorgi Bezhanishvili starting at the No. 4 spot. That is no more since he departed to chase the dreams of playing professional basketball. The new man to take over the No. 4 spot is Coleman Hawkins.

As a freshman last season, Hawkins saw some solid action but didn’t put up eye-popping numbers. He played sparingly but when he was on the court, I liked what I saw. This kid is 6-foot-10, but he can move like a wing player. He seems pretty smart and picked up the speed of the game quickly as well. With a full-time starting role, I could see Hawkins developing into a nice player this season.

Backup: RJ Melendez

While we are still waiting on RJ Melendez to sign the national letter of intent, I think the talented top 100 recruit is going to be a great backup option for the Illini this upcoming season. With his 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame, Melendez is the perfect size to play the backup No. 4 spot.

Much like Luke Goode, I am wanting to see Melendez getting somewhere between 10-15 minutes per game to start his career with the Illini. Brad Underwood will have to see some progression, but I expect Melendez to start increasing his minutes by mid-season. Look for this kid to be a big-time contributor for Illinois in year one.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

I then have Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk as the second backup at the No. 4 spot. Verdonk hasn’t progressed like many thought he would when he first joined the Illini. He didn’t play much last season either. I don’t expect that to change in the near future.

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