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.
No. 2 Guard
Starter: Terrence Shannon Jr (G/SR) – 6’ 6”, 215-pounds
Despite Illinois losing a vast majority of the production from last season, we loaded up on a ton of talented freshmen and transfer players. The best transfer talent the Illini were able to pull in was Terrence Shannon Jr. from Texas Tech.
The former Red Raider is bringing some big-time scoring ability to the Illinois basketball program, and that is why I believe he will be starting at the No. 2 spot. Just this past season, Shannon averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while hitting 38.4% of his three-point shots. There are also various reports that Shannon was the best player for the Illini in the “secret” scrimmage against Kansas just a couple of days ago. This could be a huge year for this future NBA talent.
Backup: Sencire Harris (FR) – 6’ 4”, 160-pounds
Illinois is going to have an extremely young second rotation. I had freshman Jayden Epps as the backup at the No. 1 guard spot, and another freshman, Sencire Harris, should be the primary backup at the No. 2 guard spot.
Harris isn’t as highly-rated as the other Illinois commits from 2022, but he is one of the most decorated. The back-to-back Ohio state champion with St. Vincent-St. Mary’s is bringing a big-time winning mentality to the Illini. I do believe he will get some time this season, but I assume it will be somewhere between 5-8 minutes per game. With Shannon ahead of him in the lineup, it will give Harris time to develop his game for next season.
No. 3 Guard
Starter: RJ Melendez (SO) – 6’ 7”, 205-pounds
During his freshman season, RJ Melendez showed me that the future of Illinois basketball runs through this kid. He played well, especially toward the end of the 2021-22 campaign. His tremendous athletic ability mixed with his offensive prowess is what makes Melendez a starter at the No. 3 spot.
Melendez is the second-highest returning scorer for the Illini. He is only behind Coleman Hawkins in this department. He would finish his freshman campaign averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest, but his 60% from behind the three-point arc is what piques my interest the most. Melendez started to really lock down teams with his defense toward the end of the year as well. I think he is about to take a big step toward stardom in 2022-23. Look for Melendez to have a big year.
Backup: Ty Rodgers (FR) – 6’ 6”, 200-pounds
For the third straight position, I have a freshman as a primary backup. This is easily one of the best, if not the best, recruiting class in the history of Illinois basketball. I have the primary backup at the No. 3 spot going to Ty Rodgers.
At the end of the day, Rodgers might be the best player coming out of the class of 2022. He won some hardware with the USA U18 team this summer, which is comprised of the best players from around the country. He enters the Illinois basketball program as a four-star recruit and the No. 53 player in the nation. It wouldn’t shock me to see Rodgers get decent minutes and put up some solid numbers as a freshman. Look for him to even get a start or two this year.
No. 4 Forward/Guard
Starter: Matthew Mayer (G/SR) – 6’ 9”, 225-pounds
You don’t go out and get one of the best transfer hauls in the country and not start the transfers that come into the program. A transfer who I am excited about watching this season is Matthew Mayer. The former Baylor Bear big man is now with the Illini, and he should be starting for the Orange and Blue at the No. 4 spot.
Mayer’s winning experience is going to be invaluable to the Illinois basketball program. He won the national championship with Baylor just two seasons ago, and that winning mentality will filter down to the young guys on the team. Statistically, I love what Mayer brings to the table as well. He averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 assists per game last season. He also had a year, two years ago, where he hit 39.5% from three-point range. Having Mayer as a stretch No. 4 is going to do wonders for the Illini.
Backup: Luke Goode (SO) – 6’ 7”, 210-pounds
It is so hard not to have Luke Goode starting. He has the talent to start for numerous teams in college basketball, but for one more year at Illinois, he will be a primary backup. I have Goode backing up Mayer at the No. 4 spot.
I think Goode has a chance to play the No. 2 through No. 4 spots, though. He is a versatile player who isn’t afraid to throw his body on the floor for a ball. Last season, we got to see sparks of what Goode could end up being as a player. He would finish his freshman year averaging 2.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest, and his 37.2% from three-point range should excite Illini fans. Goode will be a sparkplug for Illinois in 2022-23.
No. 5 Forward/Center
Starter: Coleman Hawkins (JR) – 6’ 10”, 225-pounds
I know there are a lot of Illinois basketball fans who think Dain Dainja is going to come into the Illinois basketball program and start from day one. I just don’t see it. I can’t imagine Coleman Hawkins not starting for the Illini. He has a ton of talent and is also projected as a second-round NBA Draft pick right now. That is why I have Hawkins starting at the No. 5 spot.
While Hawkins is better suited at the No. 4 spot, Illinois’ roster is laced with talent. We are going with a more athletic and better perimeter shooting team this upcoming season. Hawkins has proven to check both of those boxes. He is Illinois’ leading returning scorer and averaged 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game last season. Hawkins’ defense also took a step forward in 2021-22. Look for him to have a great year and be on one of the All-Big Ten teams.
Backup: Dain Dainja (SO) – 6’ 9”, 270-pounds
Even though I have Hawkins starting at the No. 5 spot, I think Dain Dainja is going to get his chance to show what he has on the court. Dainja transferred in from Baylor last season but couldn’t suit up for Illinois. He is now available for the Illini, and the big man gives us the closest thing to replacing Kofi Cockburn.
Coming out of high school, Dainja was a four-star recruit who was ranked No. 91 in the class of 2020. He couldn’t see the floor with Baylor, though. He played in three games and saw nine minutes last season. Brad Underwood is tasked with developing Dainja into a good player, and I think that could happen. This season should be about building Dainja into a starting Big Ten center. I think Hawkins is gone after this season, so having Dainja waiting in the wings is exciting. Look for him to get 8-13 minutes in each game this season.
Backup: Brandon Lieb (JR) – 7’ 0”, 220-pounds
The last scholarship player for the Illinois basketball program is Brandon Lieb. The 7-foot, 220-pound big man has been on the team for a couple of seasons, but he is just a deep bench guy who plays limited minutes in blowout situations. I don’t see that changing much anytime in the future, though. But it is always nice to have a 7-foot guy in case of an emergency.