Illinois basketball needed more guard help for the 2024-25 season, and we received that help on Tuesday.
With one of the final three scholarships, the Illini were able to go overseas and land a big-time guard,
Kasparas Jakucionis. He will be a huge asset to this team, as we needed more depth in the backcourt.
The addition of Jakucionis also means the lineup gets some type of adjustment.
Here is the projected Illinois basketball lineup with the addition of Kasparas Jakucionis
No. 1 Guard
Starter: Ty Rodgers
I am seeing some projected Illinois basketball lineups with Ty Rodgers not playing the No. 1 spot. Brad Underwood inserted Rodgers in this role last season with plenty of guards on the roster, so I think he is going to ride with Rodgers again. I have him starting at the No. 1 guard spot.
Rodgers had a solid sophomore year. He averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He is aggressive on the boards, but the only issue I have with him is his shooting. I believe he can shoot the basketball, but he needs to improve and show us he can this upcoming season. If Rodgers can start shooting from further than three feet away, then he is going to be dangerous for the Illini.
Backup: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn
With the newest addition to the Illinois roster, I think this frees up Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn to move into the No. 1 spot. He is a guard who can play multiple roles on the court, and I believe he likely will this upcoming season.
Gibbs-Lawhorn finished his freshman season averaging 2.4 points but only played 7.1 minutes per contest. He has a ton of energy, and I think he is going to be a spark for the second unit off the bench. I have Gibbs-Lawhorn as the primary backup at the No. 1 guard spot.