The start of the 2022-23 season for the Illinois basketball program is just two weeks away.
If you haven’t been keeping up this offseason, you are going to be shocked at what the Illini will look like in their first game of the season against Eastern Illinois. This is going to be an almost completely new team.
With that being said, Illinois is still going to be really good. This might actually be the most talented team, on paper, that the Illini have ever had. I don’t think that is that big of a hot take either. Illinois’ roster is absolutely loaded this season. Check it out for yourself.
Here is the projected Illinois basketball lineup for the start of the 2022-23 season.
No. 1 Guard
Starter: Skyy Clark (FR) – 6’ 3”, 200-pounds
Illinois has had some talented players commit to the program since recruiting rankings hit the internet. The best player the Illini have ever landed in the 247Sports era was Jereme Richmond, but Skyy Clark is not too far behind Richmond, at No. 5.
Brad Underwood and his coaching staff were able to secure the commitment of Clark from the class of 2022. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard, Clark comes in as a four-star recruit and the No. 33 player in Illinois’ most recent recruiting class. With the departure of Andre Curbelo to St. John’s, Clark is going to be looked upon to take over the point guard duties. I believe Clark has so much talent that not only will Illinois not miss a beat at the No. 1 guard spot, but I think this is the best we have been a point guard since Dee Brown and Deron Williams.
Backup: Jayden Epps (FR) – 6’ 2”, 190-pounds
The No. 1 guard spot is going to be manned by two newcomers this season. Clark is going to do wonders as the starter, but backing him up at point guard should be incoming freshman, Jayden Epps.
Epps wowed a lot of people at the high school level. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound combo guard comes into the Illinois program as a four-star recruit who was the No. 49 player in the class of 2022. He was also the best player coming out of North Carolina. I see Epps being Clark’s primary backup, but I also see the two on the court at the same time on occasion. Epps gives Underwood a lot of versatility at guard.