Projected Illinois basketball lineup with the addition of Kasparas Jakucionis

No. 4 Forward

Starter: Ben Humrichous

It has been a long journey for Ben Humrichous. He has been through a lot trying to rise up in the college ranks. After starting at NAIA Huntington University, Humrichous transferred to Evansville this past season. That is when his career really started to blossom.

With the Purple Aces, Humrichous averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He also hit an insane 41.4% from three-point range. Humrichous will give Illinois some great scoring ability. The senior doesn’t transfer into the program to ride the pine either. I have Humrichous starting at the No. 4 spot. At 6-foot-9, he should be able to stretch the floor and open the lanes for cutting Illinois guards. This kid is going to be a huge asset to this program.

Backup: Carey Booth

I have enjoyed watching Brad Underwood build the roster this offseason. We aren’t just loading up on seniors who will be one-and-done. Underwood is bringing in talent who could be here for years to come. Carey Booth was one of the better young gets for the Illini.

Booth was a former four-star recruit who spent his first season at Notre Dame. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. Booth then transferred out and landed with Illinois. I think he enters the Illini program as a primary backup at the No. 4 spot. That doesn’t mean he won’t get a ton of minutes, though. I think Booth has a chance to develop into a big piece of this Illinois basketball team.