Projected Illinois basketball lineup with the addition of Tomislav Ivisic

Illinois basketball needed to add to their frontcourt, and Brad Underwood was able to do just that on Monday.

The Illini managed to pull in big man Tomislav Ivisic from Croatia, and now we have a frontcourt that is solid and deep. But this addition also changes the projected lineup for next season.

Here is the projected Illinois basketball lineup with the addition of Tomislav Ivisic

No. 1 Guard

Starter: Ty Rodgers (JR)

Illinois’ frontcourt depth has gotten to a point where I believe Ty Rodgers easily maintains his No. 1 guard role. You can’t put him at the No. 2 spot because of his shooting, but he has developed enough to be a solid point guard in the Big Ten.

Last season, Rodgers averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He is a do-it-all player for the Illini, and if he develops his shot this summer, this kid has All-Big Ten written all over him. I have Rodgers once again starting at the No. 1 spot for the Orange and Blue.

Backup: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (SO)

While the frontcourt depth has been solidified, I think the Illini are a bit shallow when it comes to the backcourt. I like our starters, with Rodgers being the starting No. 1 guard. Backing him up should be Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn.

At this point, I think Gibbs-Lawhorn probably plays the No. 1 and No. 2 guard spots entering next season. He only averaged 2.4 points and 0.9 rebounds per game last season, but this was in a sample of size of just 7.1 minutes per contest. I look for Gibbs-Lawhorn to make a much bigger impact in 2024-25.

Backup: Scholarship

Illinois has three scholarships left to fill, as there are 10 players on the roster now. With one of those scholarships, it would probably be a good idea to get a ball-handler. Illinois’ only true point guard is Kylan Boswell, but he is going to be playing the No. 2 spot. Getting someone like former Illini Niccolo Moretti would be ideal.