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Projected Illinois basketball lineup with the addition of Kylan Boswell

It has been a great offseason for the Illinois basketball team, as we have now plucked Kylan Boswell out of the transfer portal.

By Rees Woodcock

Duquesne v Illinois
Duquesne v Illinois / Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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No. 4 Forward

Starter: Ty Rodgers (JR)

Same face in a new place. You have to give credit to Ty Rodgers for adapting and doing whatever the team needs him to do. He is a forward by nature, but Rodgers moved to the point guard role last season. He wasn’t bad at this role, but with Kylan Boswell on the roster, Rodgers can go back to the No. 4 spot on the floor.

Last season, Rodgers averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He isn’t a threat at shooting the basketball, or at least he wasn’t as a sophomore, so I would hope that is a priority this offseason. Rodgers has insane athletic ability, and having him back more in the paint will only increase his rebounding numbers. I have Rodgers starting at the No. 4 spot for the Illini next season.

Backup: Amani Hansberry (SO)

Without Boswell on the roster, I had Amani Hansberry starting. Rodgers was the No. 1 guard, and Hansberry was taking over the duties at the No. 4 spot. Now that Boswell is in the mix, Rodgers can go back to playing the No. 4 spot, and this moves Hansberry to the second unit.

Hansberry was fun to watch as a freshman. He played 7.5 minutes per game in 19 contests, and in that time, he averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. I believe Hansberry can stretch the floor with his shooting and athletic ability. It will be fun to see how he develops this offseason. Look for Hansberry to be the primary backup at the No. 4 spot for Illinois.

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