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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup with Kofi Cockburn returning

By Rees Woodcock

Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) is announced before the Big Ten Tournament title game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.Photos Big Ten Championship Basketball Ohio State Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) is announced before the Big Ten Tournament title game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.Photos Big Ten Championship Basketball Ohio State Illinois /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 21: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives to the basket against Keith Clemons #5 of the Loyola Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 21: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives to the basket against Keith Clemons #5 of the Loyola Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Forward

Starter: Jacob Grandison

I think the No. 4 spot is the hardest to predict right now. As previously mentioned, Illinois has a lot of depth on the roster. For right now, I think I am going to continue having Jacob Grandison starting. He manned the No. 4 spot a great deal last season and should be in the same role in 2021-22.

Grandison is a player who can do everything on the basketball court. He isn’t going to wow you in any one area, but he is someone who can pick up the slack when a star is having a bad game. Grandison is a role player in the truest form.

Backup: Coleman Hawkins

A future star on the Illinois basketball team is Coleman Hawkins. While Hawkins didn’t see much playing time as a freshman, he should see quite a few minutes this upcoming season. I think Hawkins is going to start the year getting roughly 15 minutes per game. That could increase, though. By mid-season, don’t be shocked if Hawkins and Grandison are in an even timeshare.

Backup: RJ Melendez

The final piece of the class of 2021 is RJ Melendez. He is going to need to get a few minutes this upcoming season so he can develop into a big-time player for the Illini. I think Melendez has an extremely bright future. He won’t be needed much this season, though. I want him to develop his game and be ready for next year. That is when we will need him the most.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

I love the size of Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, but he just hasn’t developed his game to a point where he is a contributor. I expected him to ride the pine for most games unless the Illini are leading by a big margin. That is the only time we will see Bosmans-Verdonk.

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