Illinois Basketball: How the Illini lineup should look against Northwestern

No. 2 Guard - Justin Harmon

In the first game with the new lineup, Illinois decided to go with Justin Harmon coming off the bench. This was a decision that worked out in game one, as Harmon was easily the most valuable player for the Orange and Blue.

Harmon only played 18 minutes against Fairleigh Dickinson, but he had the best game of his short Illini career. He finished the game with 18 points, two assists, one rebound, and one steal on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.

The ability for Harmon to knock down big three-point shots makes him so valuable. Illinois is missing just over 21 points per game, so we need someone to fill that scoring void. Harmon has shown he can be that player.

That is why I want to switch the previous starting lineup a bit. Harmon was coming off the bench, but he should now be starting for at least the next few games.

In my opinion, Harmon should take the reins at the No. 2 guard spot. Before coming to Illinois, Harmon put up great numbers with Utah Valley. He averaged 14.0 points on 45.3% shooting from the field and 34% from three-point range. Now it is time to let him loose for the Illini.

Let’s ride Harmon for a few games and see what he can do in the starting lineup. While he was a great spark plug, I would like to see that scoring threat throughout the game. He needs more than 18 minutes of action.