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Illinois Basketball: Projected Illini lineup with Matthew Mayer

By Rees Woodcock

Matthew Mayer celebrates a successful 3-pointer during Baylor’s victory at Oklahoma in January.Syndication The Oklahoman
Matthew Mayer celebrates a successful 3-pointer during Baylor’s victory at Oklahoma in January.Syndication The Oklahoman /
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Illinois basketball
KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 11: Terrence Shannon Jr. #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at T-Mobile Center on March 11, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 2 Guard

Starter: Terrence Shannon Jr.

The offseason has been a roller coaster. As previously mentioned, Andre Curbelo departed but so did Kofi Cockburn and a slew of other graduates. The Illinois coaching staff managed to rebound nicely, though. One of the big gets for the program was Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon transferred in from Texas Tech where he averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game this past season. The Red Raiders had a ton of success in the NCAA tournament with Shannon on the roster, so that leadership and experience will be invaluable to Illinois. I expect Shannon to get the starting No. 2 guard spot on the Illinois basketball team for the upcoming season.

Backup: Luke Goode

It pains me to do this, but with the addition of a couple of experienced players, I think it ends up moving Luke Goode to a primary backup role on the Illinois basketball team. That doesn’t mean Goode won’t get a ton of minutes, though. I think he could see north of 20 minutes per game and average between 6-8 points in each contest. The thing with Goode is going to be his tremendous hustle and three-point shot. This kid will be a sparkplug.

Backup: Sencire Harris

With so much talent on the team, Sencire Harris might see a redshirt year as a freshman. This wouldn’t be a bad idea considering Harris is the future of this program, and he has a ton of talent. He joins the Illinois program as a four-star recruit and the No. 106 player in the class of 2022. He is also the best player in the state of Ohio. I love Harris’ game, and he will be a huge part of this team for the 2023-24 campaign.

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