Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup with Skyy Clark

No. 5 Center/Forward

Starter: Coleman Hawkins

The No. 5 spot is where people are going to have an issue with my lineup. I think, with the way the roster is currently constructed, Illinois would be better off going with a more athletic lineup. That means I have Coleman Hawkins starting at the No. 5 spot.

I know Hawkins isn’t a normal No. 5. He is more of a forward than a center, but he can be a headache for opposing teams at center. Hawkins has the shooting ability to pull the opposing center out from the middle of the paint, which opens up the driving lanes. This will give Illinois so many more options. I think we are better off with Hawkins at the No. 5 as of right now.

Backup: Dain Dainja

There might be times when the opposing team has a more traditional center or Hawkins gets into foul trouble. That is when Dain Dainja comes into play. I think Dainja is going to get some solid playing time in his first year with Illinois, but he might be best off the bench.

Dainja is a former four-star recruit who transferred in from Baylor. He isn’t polished offensively, but he is a massive human who can clog up the paint. We are going to need Dainja for situations this upcoming season. He will be extremely valuable.

Backup: Brandon Lieb

The final piece to the puzzle is Brandon Lieb. He only saw action in 10 games this past season, and I don’t expect that to change moving forward. Lieb is a big man who can fill in for a few minutes. He will mostly be used in garbage time, though.