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Illinois Basketball: Early projected Illini lineup for the 2021-22 season

By Rees Woodcock

Nov 27, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Trent Frazier (left) and guard Da'Monte Williams (right) celebrate during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Trent Frazier (left) and guard Da'Monte Williams (right) celebrate during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 21: Jacob Grandison (3) of the Illinois Fighting Illini in action in the game against the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the NCAA Basketball Tournament second round at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 21: Jacob Grandison (3) of the Illinois Fighting Illini in action in the game against the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the NCAA Basketball Tournament second round at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Guard/Forward

  • Starter: Jacob Grandison – NR

The No. 4 guard/forward spot is a toss-up. I think this position will have a rotation of at least two players and potentially three depending on development. For the sake of this article, I am going to give Jacob Grandison the start at the No. 4 spot.

Grandison entered the college ranks without a lot of hype. He wasn’t rated or ranked by recruiting sites, so he decided to commit to Holy Cross College. Grandison spent two seasons with the Crusaders and during his final season, he averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He brought that talent to the Illini and showed off what he could do last season. Grandison was a true utility man, averaging 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He should continue the utility man role this season as well.

  • Backup: Da’Monte Williams – 3-star

The first player I have being in a timeshare at the No. 4 spot with Grandison is Da’Monte Williams. The super senior guard returned for his COVID year to help Illinois get back to the NCAA tournament. It is exciting to have more leadership return to the program.

Williams was a three-star coming out of Manual High School in 2017. Much like Trent Frazier, Williams stuck with the Illini through a coaching change, which means the world to me as a fan. He has also been a utility man throughout his career. Although, Williams’ three-point shooting has developed the last season or so. I still look to Williams as more of a defensive spark thank anything.

  • Backup: RJ Melendez – 4-star

The sneakiest pick-up of the 2021 class is going to end up being RJ Melendez. The talented forward has great size at 6-foot-7, and he is a dynamic scoring threat on the court. I see Melendez as the No. 3 player at this position, but he could see some solid minutes in a rotation with the other two.

Melendez brings a four-star talent to Champaign. He was a top 100 recruit, so it would shock me if he didn’t get a decent amount of playing time. This year is about development because I could see Melendez being a superstar for this program as a sophomore and beyond.

  • Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk – NR

I don’t expect much out of Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk this upcoming season. He has been a bench player since coming to Illinois, and that shouldn’t change in the near future. If he does play, it should be when the Illini are up big late in games.

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