Projected Illinois basketball lineup after the commitment of Will Riley

No. 5 Center

Starter: Morez Johnson Jr. (FR)

I already mentioned Will Riley coming in as a freshman and starting for the Illinois basketball team. He is a massive addition to the program, and joining him in the starting rotation is Morez Johnson Jr.

Johnson is also coming in from the class of 2024. He is a 6-foot-9 monster who can be an enforcer on the defensive end of the court and suck up rebounds like you haven’t seen before. A consensus top-35 recruit, I don’t think Brad Underwood brings Johnson off the bench. I have him starting at the No. 5 spot. He has more traditional big-man traits, but don’t sleep on this kid offensively. He has some nice touch from the mid-range.

Backup: Tomislav Ivisic (FR)

Illinois has great depth at every position, which is something I was worried about after nearly everyone left the team in the past couple of months. I think an underrated addition to the roster is going to be Tomislav Ivisic.

The 7-foot-1 big man is coming over from Croatia where he averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He has tremendous big man size, and I think he is going to form into a great primary backup at the No. 5 spot in year one. He is the future at the No. 5 spot for the Illini as well.

Backup: Jason Jakstys (FR)

With so much talent coming into the program, I think it gives Jason Jakstys some time to develop. This is what I believe will be best for him. I imagine he takes a redshirt in year one and then becomes a solid backup in year two. I like this kid’s length and shooting ability. There is a ton of potential bubbling at the surface with his game.