Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup for the 2023 NCAA tournament

No. 5 Center/Forward

Starter: Coleman Hawkins (3-star)

The No. 5 spot for the 2022-23 season and the 2023 NCAA tournament is going to be interesting. This position has the most question marks but it also has a ton of potential. I have the starter at the No. 5 spot going to Coleman Hawkins.

Hawkins has shown during the second half of the current campaign that he is ready for the spotlight. He has played some of the best basketball on the team, and with his tremendous size, he should be a perfect fit at the No. 5 spot entering the 2023 postseason. It could end up being a big year for Hawkins.

Backup: Dain Dainja (4-star)

An addition to the Illinois basketball team that is flying under the radar is Baylor transfer, Dain Dainja. He joined the program this past winter and has been on the Illinois bench since then. For now, I have Dainja as the backup at the No. 5 spot. He should be a huge contributor to the team entering the 2023 NCAA tournament as well. If Illinois needs more bulk in the paint, Dainja will be the man.

Backup: Omar Payne (4-star)

No one was quite sure what Illinois was getting with Omar Payne this season. He transferred in from Florida and has provided reserve minutes behind Kofi Cockburn. Payne has clearly lost some trust with Brad Underwood, so I think he would be best suited as the second backup at the No. 5 spot for the 2022-23 campaign. He shouldn’t get more than 3-5 minutes in the 2023 NCAA tournament.

Backup: Brandon Lieb (3-star)

Every college basketball team has a few players who will be riding the pine for the vast majority of their careers. That is Brandon Lieb for the Illini. He is a deep reserve at the No. 5 spot for the Orange and Blue. I don’t expect him to get any serious minutes for the 2023 NCAA tournament.