Illinois Basketball: Elite 2022 point guard keeps Illini in top 6

The 2022 class for the Illinois basketball program is a long way from being complete, but they landed a step closer on Monday to bringing in one of the top players in the country.

I think it is fair to say that the Illini do not have a backup point guard for the future. Andre Curbelo is the man who is going to be the No. 1 guard for the Orange and Blue, but I have a rotation of other players backing him up when he needs rest. The backup No. 1 guard is the biggest weakness in my latest projected lineup.

Illinois could solve the backup No. 1 guard problem by landing someone like Tre Holloman. He is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from Cretin Derham Hall High School and resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Holloman is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 52 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 8 point guard in the country and the best player coming out of Minnesota.

On Monday, Brad Underwood and Co. got a step closer to landing Holloman when he cut his list down to just six teams. The list of six programs vying for his commitment included Oklahoma State, Dayton, Marquette, Minnesota, Michigan State and Illinois.

The path for Holloman with the Illinois basketball program would be simple.

I think it would be pretty easy to map out how Holloman’s path with the Illini would work. If he picked Illinois, he would come into the program for the 2022-23 campaign. This would end up being Curbelo’s junior year.

Now, if Curbelo plays this upcoming season the way he played his freshman year, then I think there is a chance he heads for the NBA after his sophomore campaign. That is how good I think this kid is at the game of basketball. But, for now, let’s be more conservative and say Curbelo sticks around for his junior year.

I see Holloman coming in and being the primary backup to Curbelo as a freshman. This doesn’t mean he won’t see a ton of playing time or even starts, though. It wouldn’t shock me to see Holloman get 17-22 minutes per game in year one. He would see the floor next to Curbelo at times, and his playing time would increase based on chemistry with some of the guys.

By Holloman’s sophomore year, I think it is nearly a guarantee that Curbelo departs for the NBA. This leaves the starting No. 1 guard position wide open for Holloman to take the reins. He would slip into the starting role and blossom as a top point guard in the nation.

Holloman would fit seamlessly with the Illinois roster right now. His handles are great and he is a big-time bucket getter. I love everything about his game. Landing Holloman would be a big move for the Illini coaching staff.