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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup with Skyy Clark

By Rees Woodcock

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood watches from the baseline during a NCAA Big Ten Conference men's basketball game against Iowa, Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.211206 Ill Iowa Mbb 034 Jpg
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood watches from the baseline during a NCAA Big Ten Conference men's basketball game against Iowa, Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.211206 Ill Iowa Mbb 034 Jpg /
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Illinois basketball
Feb 13, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard RJ Melendez (15) dunks the ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 4 Guard/Forward

Starter: RJ Melendez

I think we can all agree that RJ Melendez had the best freshman campaign out of the three freshmen from last season. He was sensational when on the court, and through much of the NCAA tournament, he was arguably our best player. I am not sure why he wasn’t used more, but I digress.

Melendez should enter the 2022-23 campaign as the starter at the No. 4 spot. Some people might see him as more of a No. 3, but I think Brad Underwood would be smart to go with a more athletic, slightly smaller, lineup. Melendez can hit shots from anywhere on the court and can stretch the floor with his athletic ability. He actually led the Illini in three-point shooting last season at 60%. Look for this kid to really blossom as a starter.

Backup: Ty Rodgers

This was a tough one. Ty Rodgers has the ability to be a starter, but Illinois will have so much talent on the roster this upcoming season. Rodgers is coming in as a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 54 player in the class of 2022.

Rodgers is going to see a ton of minutes despite not starting. He can play the No. 3 or No. 4 spots on the floor. Look for him to be one of the primary backups for the Illini. I see Rodgers getting somewhere between 15-20 minutes each night in year one. I can’t wait to see what his future holds, though.

Backup: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk

Illinois does have some veteran leadership on the bench with Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. He should be back for another year after seeing action in 24 games this past season. He filled in for Kofi Cockburn at times, and I was pleasantly surprised. Look for Bosmans-Verdonk to be a third backup at the No. 4 spot for the upcoming season.

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