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Illinois Basketball: Projected 2024-25 Illini lineup after the Mikey Lewis miss

By Rees Woodcock

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 09: Head Basketball Coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches a play during the second half of a Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Center on March 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The Penn State Nittany Lions won the game 79-76 over the Illinois Fighting Illini. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 09: Head Basketball Coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches a play during the second half of a Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Center on March 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The Penn State Nittany Lions won the game 79-76 over the Illinois Fighting Illini. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 15: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini fields a question from the media ahead of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First Round at Wells Fargo Arena on March 15, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

On Friday afternoon, the Illinois basketball team missed out on a big-time recruit for the class of 2024.

The Illini had been pursuing Mikey Lewis for quite some time. The talented guard out of California had Illinois in his top three, along with Ole Miss and St. Mary’s. Sometimes location does factor in recruiting decisions, as Lewis ended up picking the Gaels as his landing spot.

This decision leaves Illinois out to dry a bit. We still have a top 20 recruiting class for 2024, though. Led by one of the best players in high school basketball, Morez Johnson Jr., the Illini are bringing in some talented freshmen who will help the program immediately.

But what could the Illini lineup look like now that Lewis is off the books? I think there will be some adjustments, but I have confidence this lineup could win a lot of games in 2024-25.

Here is the projected 2024-25 Illinois basketball lineup after missing on Mikey Lewis

No. 1 Guard

Starter: Niccolo Moretti (R-SO)

I believe the Illinois basketball team will be shifting around some of the starters for the 2024-25 campaign. With most of our guard production departing, this enables Brad Underwood to shift players into more of a natural role. That is why I have Niccolo Moretti starting at the No. 1 guard spot.

Moretti isn’t going to start in this role for the 2023-24 campaign, though. He is going to likely be the backup at point guard, but I fully expect him to see time on the court. These minutes are going to be crucial for his development for the 2024-25 season. I think Moretti is going to be a star for the Illini. He has some of the best handles I have seen in the past couple of decades, and more importantly, he takes care of the basketball.

Backup: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (R-FR)

This upcoming season, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is likely to be the third option at point guard off the bench. That is why I actually have him taking a redshirt and saving a year of eligibility. I do expect him to play some minutes early on, though. These minutes will be invaluable for the young guard.

Moving into the 2024-25 campaign, I have Gibbs-Lawhorn as the primary backup at the No. 1 guard spot. This won’t be his only area, though. Gibbs-Lawhorn can light up the scoreboard, so I fully expect him to play the No. 1 through No. 3 spots on the court. Once Luke Goode leaves the program, it wouldn’t shock me to see Gibbs-Lawhorn take over the No. 2 spot full-time as a redshirt sophomore.

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