Projected 2024-25 lineup for the Illinois basketball team

No. 4 Forward

Starter: Berry Wallace (FR)

And we finally get to the star of the show. Illinois has all of that great guard talent returning for the 2024-25 season, and that backcourt is going to be dirty. The great part about all of that experience returning is the fact they can help grow and develop young superstar, Berry Wallace.

Wallace is entering the Illinois program from the class of 2024. She is a 6-foot-1, five-star forward who has a chance to be legendary for the Orange and Blue. You don’t snag a top-20 player in a recruiting class and not start them. Wallace led her Pickerington High School squad to a 25-4 record and a trip to the Final 4 of the Division I Ohio Girls Basketball State Championship. Wallace should be starting at the No. 4 spot for the Illini next season.

Backup: Brynn Shoup-Hill (SR)

I absolutely love what Illinois has as far as depth goes in the frontcourt. Wallace is going to be a big-time player for the program, and at that same position, I have Brynn Shoup-Hill continuing to do her thing.

Shoup-Hill was impressive this past season. The Goshen, Indiana, native is someone who can eat up minutes and is a legitimate scoring threat. Don’t let her 28.2% from three-point range this season fool you. She is a good shooter. Shoup-Hill will come off the bench in the second rotation and give Illinois a nice shot in the arm in the frontcourt. She is someone who can stretch the floor and cause problems for the opposing defense. I have Shoup-Hill as the primary backup at the No. 4 spot.