The Champaign Room - Illinois Basketball 2019-20 Previews A Fighting Illini community since 2012https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48193/tcr-fave.png2019-10-30T08:05:00-05:00http://www.thechampaignroom.com/rss/stream/206547212019-10-30T08:05:00-05:002019-10-30T08:05:00-05:00What we’re most excited for this Illinois Basketball season
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<figcaption>Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It should be a fun year! </p> <h2 id="xUZRwE"><strong>Stephen Cohn’s Most Excited For: A more balanced Trent and Ayo </strong></h2>
<p id="BBQYkW">I wasn’t too avid of a watcher of the 2004-05 Illinois team (I was 7 and lived in the Chicago suburbs with very few relatives who attended Illinois), so the best backcourt duo <em>I </em>have ever seen is Trent and Ayo. The pair had its fair share of bumps and bruises last year, but when they were both on, boy, they were both on. And that’s when this is fun. </p>
<p id="0mFoTs">Hopefully after a year of playing side by side and understanding their roles in Underwood’s system, this dynamic duo can average upwards of 30 points per game and just be a national force to be reckoned with. Plus, they both have pretty unique personalities. Hey, Sports Illustrated, they’re waiting for their cover story! </p>
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<strong>Michael Berns’ Most Excited For: </strong><span><strong>Kofi Cockburn</strong></span><strong> and his Thiccness</strong>
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<p id="q2Ns9V">We finally have a rim protector under Brad Underwood! The first one Illinois has truly had since Nnanna Egwu graduated. My expectations for Kofi are tapered: I don’t expect him to play more than 20 minutes a game. I don’t expect him to dominate each and every game he plays in. I don’t expect him to not get in foul trouble often. I do expect him to have plenty of games where he’s a non-factor and does not score, BUT…</p>
<p id="Kg7bYu">Despite the talent at guard Illinois has had — last year’s 3-headed guard monster of Ayo, Trent and Feliz are all back — Illinois was still at a considerable disadvantage down low against the likes of Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, etc. The Illini were a great rebounding team, but defensively lacked a big guy in the middle to protect against the ball pressure Illinois employs under Brad Underwood’s press-your-neck system. Giorgi is not small, but on the offensive side, Kofi being there allows Giorgi to operate at the top corner of the key where he can do the most damage posting up or playing straight up face to the basket. Welcome to Champaign, Mr. Thiccburn!</p>
<h2 id="p9XtIW"><strong>Tristen Kissack’s Most Excited For: Dancing</strong></h2>
<p id="vgGWC4">This is by far the most tournament ready team at Illinois in the past six years. Not making the dance would be, well it’d be a huge disappointment. We’ve heard all the talk about Ayo Dosunmu being a projected lottery pick in next year’s draft. This will likely be his last year as an Illini. Return almost the entire roster, add in a couple intriguing freshmen products (Kofi Cockburn, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk), and I feel like there’s something brewing here. I see 20+ wins on the calendar this season, more than enough to get the Illini back into the tournament. I’m excited to see what this team does for the fanbase and for the program. With all the momentum on the recruiting trail, it’s nice to see Illinois relevant nationally again. Now, go execute.</p>
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<strong>Kyle Huisinga’s Most Excited For: </strong><span><strong>Alan Griffin</strong></span><strong>’s Breakout</strong>
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<p id="ax0It1">One of the biggest issues last year was the lack of a lengthy defender to disrupt opposing wings from scoring at will. From Jordan Murphy of Minnesota to <span>Isaiah Roby</span> of Nebraska, Illinois struggled to contain anyone with length at the 3 or 4. The Illini also got very little production offensively from their wings, either. Besides a few standout games from <span>Tevian Jones</span> (who was just suspended indefinitely). So, I’m here for the Alan Griffin hype. He’s the perfect player to address both issues. He has his own length at 6 foot 8 with an outside jump shot and jump out of the room, rim-rocking ability. He’s also tenacious and hard-working on the defensive end. If all the summer hype is for real, Griffin could be the breakout player for Illinois and could ameliorate the wing issues from the past several seasons. The Illini haven’t had a collection of such talented bigs in a while, and Griffin could be a perfect compliment to the strong guard play. </p>
<h2 id="IcrvPX"><strong>Mark Schaer’s Most Excited For: Giorgi continuing to improve his game</strong></h2>
<p id="Ix82eP">I think that it flew just a bit under the radar that Giorgi had some sort of hand injury during the majority of last season. And yet, he was third on the team in scoring, improved his rebounding and blocks as the season went on, and was a focal point for the media. The kid is fun and he just loves being a part of the Illini Men’s Basketball Team. </p>
<p id="P2V4YQ">One aspect of Giorgi’s game that wasn’t so hot was his shooting from deep. He was… bad. Let’s just leave it there. Outside of seven or eight feet, he wasn’t real productive. I point to the Rutgers game (where Giorgi broke Deon Thomas’ freshman scoring record) as a case and point: he could not miss a shot (14-of-18 from the field, 35 points) and Rutgers knew exactly how he was going to score. His footwork and ball handling are in the upper-eshelon for someone of his size. If he can work the pick-and-pop with Trent and Ayo, this team will become a lot more dangerous. I am hoping he can be in the 33-37% range from deep, which would be a steep improvement. I don’t think this is totally out of the question, though. And it would really help open things up for Kofi, Trent, Ayo, and Alan. </p>
<h2 id="qXE8u6"><strong>Trey Layden’s Most Excited For: Underwood’s plans to use Kofi and Giorgi in rotations</strong></h2>
<p id="pSRztQ">Illinois Basketball has had some pretty suspect big men in recent memory to say the least. In the past two years, Coach Underwood found a gem out of nowhere in Giorgi and a highly-touted big man from prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Kofi Cockburn. </p>
<p id="BIhS9X">Last season we got bullied around the rim with opponents shooting 54 percent inside the arc. With a front line the likes of this year’s team I would expect that number to drop drastically. Kofi will not be able to play the minutes that Giorgi will be able to, but if they can manage to stay on the court for around 15 minutes a game together, that will improve our defense around the basket and rebounding. In recent memory, Michigan State is one team that comes to mind when thinking of massive frontcourts. The one thing they possessed that, I’m not sure the Illini will this year (a TBD) is a stretch four. If neither develops a reliable 15-foot jumper driving lanes will be clogged for Ayo, Andres, Trent, etc., and this duo won’t be on the court together very often. </p>
<h2 id="hQePKp"><strong>Drew Pastorek’s Most Excited For: Ayo’s Emergence</strong></h2>
<p id="8XmTsG">Ayo Dosunmu has so far been the prized recruit for Brad Underwood. While we love the thought of Ayo as an NBA talent, it was quite apparent that he wasn’t ready to make that leap last season. His draft stock dropped even though his performance as a freshman was praiseworthy. Ayo has great instincts and is a two-way player, and willing to attack the basket, but needed to get stronger to be a better finisher at the NBA level. This is Ayo’s team, and he’s reportedly made marked improvements in the offseason. Despite the talent around him, the Illini’s success is contingent on Ayo’s development.</p>
<h2 id="k0TGlT"><strong>Matt O’Neall’s Most Excited For: How good this team could be </strong></h2>
<p id="R3QWFf">This has the chance to be the best Illinois team in a decade. That’s not hyperbole. The roster talent across the board is at the highest level since the Weber years. If Underwood can’t do it with this team, he probably never will. </p>
<p id="8QibSM">The Big Ten is likely to have a down year. Michigan State, Maryland and Ohio State are the only teams that really scare anyone in the conference. Purdue, Wisconsin and Indiana should be mentioned out of respect, but I expect all of those teams to take a step back. The opportunity is there for the taking. Illinois returns essentially all of its contributors from a year ago except for <span><strong>Aaron Jordan</strong></span>. Youth is no longer an excuse.</p>
<p id="ECzyHP">For more on Matt’s predictions for this upcoming year, check out his <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/29/20937274/the-illinois-basketball-preview-dance-yourself-clean-fighting-illini-brad-underwood-ayo-dosunmu">full preview</a>.</p>
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https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/30/20938658/what-were-most-excited-this-illinois-basketball-season-kofi-cockburn-fighting-illini-bezhanishviliTCR Staff2019-10-29T08:05:00-05:002019-10-29T08:05:00-05:00The Illinois Basketball Preview: Dance Yourself Clean
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<figcaption>@IlliniMBB</figcaption>
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<p>The Illini have a chance to dance and wash away a decade of disappointment.</p> <h2 id="Bo85xv"><strong>State of the Program</strong></h2>
<p id="r3FmmU">Last season I titled the season preview, ‘<a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2018/11/6/18063104/the-illinois-basketball-preview-make-us-feel-alive-again-fighting-illini-preview-big-ten">Make Us Feel Alive Again</a>.’</p>
<p id="bKp5wv">And it took them a while, but for a brief moment they did. The team got off to an incredibly slow start, and struggled with the most difficult schedule in school history. They lost a program-record 21 games. But there were signs of life. Impressive freshman campaigns from <span>Ayo Dosunmu</span> and Giorgi Bezshanishvili kept spirits afloat during a dismal 4-12 beginning. A four-game conference winning streak highlighted by a shocking upset of top-10 Michigan State at the State Farm Center was the glimmer of hope the fan base needed. We felt alive again.</p>
<p id="HIQowy">Now, suddenly, there are expectations. Real, legitimate expectations.</p>
<p id="twb01O">Local and national pundits have predicted the Illini to finish in the top half of the Big Ten and return to the NCAA Tournament. Ayo Dosunmu is a consensus preseason All-Big Ten First Teamer as well as a projected lottery pick in the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a>. For the first time in forever, the rest of the Big Ten has a lot more unknowns than the Fighting Illini.</p>
<p id="pNTHxr">For the second straight season, the Illini will add a top-50 recruit to the roster as <span>Kofi Cockburn</span> will play significant minutes in the frontcourt. Underwood has been able to parlay the positive buzz around the program into some success on the recruiting trail. Coleman Hawkins is already in the fold for the 2020 class and the Illini are in great position with two top-100 guards, Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller.</p>
<p id="swwi4H">Things are looking up headed into year three for Brad Underwood. There have been a few jolts of electricity zapped through the comatose Illinois Basketball program. A court storming victory. A projected first-round NBA draft pick. Some positive recruiting buzz. An Andy-Katz-led preseason hype train. These are all great things. It’s great to be excited for the first time in years. But it’s so important to capitalize on these signs of life. Illinois has to take those sparks and prove something. It’s time to rise from the dead and show off some dance moves.</p>
<h2 id="RAlyRY"><strong>What Success Looks Like</strong></h2>
<p id="h5T4pv">I don’t want to be dramatic and say “Tourney or Bust”, but: Tourney or Bust.</p>
<p id="R3QWFf">This has the chance to be the best Illinois team in a decade. That’s not hyperbole. The roster talent across the board is at the highest level since the Weber years. If Underwood can’t do it with this team, he probably never will. </p>
<p id="8QibSM">The Big Ten is likely to have a down year. Michigan State, Maryland and Ohio State are the only teams that really scare anyone in the conference. Purdue, Wisconsin and Indiana should be mentioned out of respect, but I expect all of those teams to take a step back. The opportunity is there for the taking. Illinois returns essentially all of its contributors from a year ago except for <span>Aaron Jordan</span>. Youth is no longer an excuse.</p>
<p id="xYbjiu">Win Braggin’ Rights. Win 10+ Big Ten games. Win 20+ games. And most importantly, finish in the top half of the Big Ten and reach the NCAA Tournament. </p>
<p id="OWt21o">No more gray areas, it’s black and white this season. The Tournament is a requirement. If Underwood squanders Ayo Dosunmu’s two seasons in Champaign and doesn’t get a postseason appearance during his tenure, it will be an even greater tragedy than <span>Malcolm Hill</span>’s four seasons without a tournament appearance.</p>
<h2 id="QTEIrr"><strong>Three Big Questions</strong></h2>
<p id="w32wJO">These questions revolve around the health and ceiling of the program in the short and long term. If they’re all answered in a positive light, Illini fans will be pretty happy at the end of the season.</p>
<p id="YRTHBW"><em><strong>1. Can somebody please step up and grab starters minutes on the wing?</strong></em></p>
<p id="Y3VwUW">Unfortunately, this question was copied and pasted directly from last year’s preview. This was the same question I led off with a year ago. I was imploring Da’Monte Williams and <span>Tevian Jones</span> to step up and take some of Aaron Jordan’s minutes on the wing. They never did. Da’Monte was the same limited offensive player we saw during his freshman year and Tevian Jones was more-or-less a deer in the headlights on roller skates on defense.</p>
<p id="oSeukT">However, it seems I was looking in the wrong place last year. With Tevian Jones suspended indefinitely and Da’Monte Williams unlikely to become the dynamic offensive off-guard I hoped he could be, I’ll turn to <span>Alan Griffin</span>. The offseason hype train for Griffin has been picking up steam fast. A few nice practice reports and a strong showing in Italy have had fans penciling him into the starting rotation already.</p>
<p id="WYf9NS">But how good can Alan Griffin <em>really </em>be?</p>
<p id="rTzBmW">Can he start and play 25+ minutes per game on the wing? Can he score 8-10 points per game? Can he help out a still undersized frontcourt and grab 4-5 rebounds a game? Can he do all of this while locking up the other teams most versatile offensive player? Can he shoot 40 percent from three?</p>
<p id="l91REi">That’s a lot to ask of someone who played seven minutes per game last year. I’m not saying he has to do all of those things. But if he can do three or four of them, it greatly raises Illinois’ ceiling. Last year, the Illini suffered greatly because they were getting empty minutes night after night on the wings. Aaron Jordan, Da’Monte Williams, <span>Kipper Nichols</span>, Tevian Jones and Alan Griffin were a huge net negative at the 2-4 last year. That group loses Jordan and Jones — at least temporarily — and adds a freshman <span>Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk</span>. And it must improve. Which means Williams, Griffin and Nichols have to improve. Williams and Nichols are already upperclassmen. The best candidate to take a leap is Alan Griffin.</p>
<p id="WdBlvA"><em><strong>2. Is this defense actually going to work?</strong></em></p>
<p id="EWxMoE">Because so far it hasn’t.</p>
<p id="SiO7my">Underwood’s staple has been relentless pressure both on and off the ball. Create turnovers and turn your defense into easy points. It’s fun and exciting when it works like it did against Michigan State. The problem is it usually doesn’t work.</p>
<p id="VuI40I">I’m going to list some basic statistics and where the Illini ranked in them last season. Keep in mind there are 347 Division I Men’s Basketball teams.</p>
<ul>
<li id="0KrIbm">46.3% Opp. FG% (311)</li>
<li id="NzdVHz">53.6% Opp. 2PFG% (321)</li>
<li id="wfgXfr">23.5 Opp. Free Throw Attempts per Game (334)</li>
<li id="kM5WXl">22.4 Defensive Rebounds per Game (317)</li>
<li id="4wn142">2.6 Blocks per Game (262)</li>
<li id="dQPSU1">21.2 Fouls per Game (339)</li>
<li id="Z1qfXk">75.2 Opp PPG (269)</li>
</ul>
<p id="vrspTd">That’s really bad. You’re not going to win a lot of games with numbers like that. And you’re definitely not going to an NCAA Tournament with numbers like that. Now, I left out the fact that they were one of the best defenses in the country at forcing turnovers. And while that’s good and important, at some point there’s a law of diminishing returns. And that’s what we saw last season.</p>
<p id="njPSSk">It will be incredibly interesting to see how Brad Underwood approaches his style of defense this season. I assume he will stick with the intense pressure to start the year. It’s his basketball program and in a perfect world that’s how he wants his program to play. But this is a make-or-break season. He can’t just let the losses pile up like he did the last two seasons. What will have to happen and how bad will it have to get for Brad Underwood to ditch his signature defense for the pack line like he did at Oklahoma State?</p>
<p id="70qlQ7"><em><strong>3. What is Kofi Cockburn’s ceiling as a freshman?</strong></em></p>
<p id="ZfiUbk">This ties in with question No. 2. Kofi Cockburn is a large human. I don’t think pressuring screeners and denying passing lanes 20 feet from the basket is going to play to his strengths. </p>
<p id="VymVdG">Cockburn is going to have to adjust from the way he played in high school. Not only is he going to have adjust to not being laughably larger than everyone he goes up against, but he is going to have to adjust to Underwood’s run-n-gun style of play. But Underwood is also going to have to adjust to Cockburn. He’s a unique player and unlike anyone he’s ever coached before. How long will it take for these two clashing basketball styles to meet in the middle?</p>
<p id="56BLFq">Between freshman foul trouble, getting his conditioning up to speed, adjusting to Underwood’s style and adjusting to the speed of the game, there are a lot of things for the young big man to worry about. So it would be a little unfair to expect him to walk in and play productive starters minutes from the jump. But the problem is that’s exactly what the Illini need him to do.</p>
<p id="ljeqcS">Cockburn will come off the bench to start the year as Underwood will likely try to stagger his minutes with Bezhanishvili, especially in the early going. He’s going to be expected to be the anchor on defense and cover up all the mistakes and over-pursuits of the ball pressure defense and clean up on the defensive glass, which is an area Illinois struggled in a season ago.</p>
<p id="MbyPaD">The shorter his adjustment period to the college game takes will be directly correlated to the amount of wins this Illini team can accumulate.</p>
<p id="OCXY8F">Another note on the topic of Cockburn is how he plays with Giorgi. If Giorgi can step out and hit a few more jump shots this season, it may allow Underwood to go super big and play Kofi and Giorgi in spurts together. Having that wrinkle would provide the coaching staff with another card up its sleeve when Big Ten play rolls around.</p>
<h2 id="cgp3AX"><strong>Season Predictions</strong></h2>
<p id="tihlq1">I’m going to copy and paste from last season’s preview again real quick:</p>
<blockquote><p id="TJdXlD">Every year I go through the same cycle. The season ends in disappointing fashion and I tell myself to not get my hopes up for next year and that we are still a long way away. Then it’s three weeks until the first game, and I’m drowning in practice reports and asking myself “Is Michigan <em>really</em> a guaranteed loss?”. Then I try to ground myself and come to a reasonable conclusion. Not too high, not too low.</p></blockquote>
<p id="WpespM">It’s been a lot harder for me to not get too high the last few months. The team is only losing one major contributor in Aaron Jordan. Ayo Dosunmu is back. The Big Ten is down. The ingredients are there.</p>
<p id="r2X3R2">I’m riding high from the back-to-back football wins. And I really believe this basketball team is going to bring us back to relevance this time.</p>
<p id="zRlVi7"><strong>Record:</strong> 23-8 (13-7 in the B1G), 5th in the B1G Conference</p>
<p id="2L4sMF"><strong>Postseason: </strong>NCAA Tournament Round of 32</p>
<p id="q0Uykd"><strong>All B1G: </strong></p>
<p id="SoIqnn">Ayo Dosunmu — First Team</p>
<p id="75JKxU"><span>Trent Frazier</span> — Third Team</p>
<p id="O1VDqC"><span>Giorgi Bezhanishvili</span> — Honorable Mention</p>
<p id="ysb2fR">Illinois can realistically go undefeated in the non-conference. Arizona, Miami and Missouri (and maybe Grand Canyon?) are the real tests. I have the Illini dropping the early season contest to Arizona. It’s tough to go on the road in college basketball, especially all the way to the west coast. The name of the game in the Big Ten is protect home court. Win eight at home and beat the bad conference teams on the road.</p>
<p id="dRGHu9">If I’m being honest with myself, that win total is probably on the high end. But this is the first time we’ve had legitimate hope as a fanbase since the Weber years. I’m choosing to bottle up and cherish this feeling.</p>
<p id="mRh78h">We’ll learn a lot very soon. The Arizona game is in less than two weeks and I cannot wait.</p>
<p id="DbNTi5">Illinois Basketball is back.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/29/20937274/the-illinois-basketball-preview-dance-yourself-clean-fighting-illini-brad-underwood-ayo-dosunmuMatt ONeall2019-10-25T09:58:46-05:002019-10-25T09:58:46-05:00Illinois Basketball Schedule Preview: The B1G
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Illinois at Indiana" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9w2eMYSuGK8xzGb5NOnLaUxFq-U=/0x0:3178x2119/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65552912/usa_today_11935985.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With the conference in flux, the Illini could have a big year.</p> <p id="CN9dVg">Last week <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/17/20913235/illinois-fighting-illini-basketball-schedule-preview-the-non-conference-slate-hawaii-arizona-mizzou">I broke down Illinois’ non-conference schedule</a>. With only three Power 5 opponents it is vital that the Illini handle their business outside of league play. The Big Ten is a grind and no win is guaranteed. There is one clear-cut favorite, but there are several teams that are emerging, rebuilding or unsure of what they have. This week I’ll provide a glimpse of the Fighting Illini’s Big Ten opponents in chronological order.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="5xtviB">
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<li id="rbZOoj">
<strong>Maryland (2018-19 Record: 23-11; 13-7 B1G)</strong>: Illinois begins conference play in College Park on Dec. 7. Maryland has a fairly young team (five freshmen, five sophomores) and lost center <span>Bruno Fernando</span> to the NBA. But the Terps bring back senior guard <span>Anthony Cowan</span>, who’s started all 99 games the past three seasons. Cowan isn’t a great shooter (just 39 percent from the field in ‘18-19), but averages about 15 points per game. He’s also Maryland’s leader in assists and rebounds well for a player his size. I’m exicted to see <span>Kofi Cockburn</span> go against Maryland’s 7-foot-2 freshman center <span>Chol Marial</span>. Unfortunately, we’ll likely have to wait until the rematch in Champaign Feb. 7, as Marial is recuperating from surgery to repair stress fractures in both legs. The Terrapins are picked to finish second in the B1G, and it’s easy to see why — they have depth, length, size, athleticism, make free throws, and are sound defensively. </li>
<li id="z9z8Cz">
<strong>Michigan (30-7; 15-5 B1G)</strong>: Illinois hosts the Wolverines on Dec. 11. Michigan is projected to finish fifth in the B1G in Juwan Howard’s first season. <span>Isaiah Livers</span>, <span>Zavier Simpson</span> and <span>Jon Teske</span> return, but the Wolverines lost Iggy Brazdeikis, <span>Charles Matthews</span> and <span>Jordan Poole</span> to the pros. Coach John Beilein leaned heavily on those six players, so a lot of quality minutes will be up for grabs. Defense was Michigan’s forte last season, holding opponents to 58 points per game on less than 40 percent shooting (29 percent from three-point range). It’s rare that a new head coach comes in year one without a bit of a dip, but the Wolverines are definitely good enough to make another deep tourney run. These two teams meet again in Ann Arbor on Jan. 25.</li>
<li id="JHT26m">
<strong>Michigan State (32-7; 16-4 B1G)</strong>: Illinois visits East Lansing Jan. 2 and hosts the Spartans Feb. 11. It should come as no surprise that Michigan State — ranked No. 1 to begin the year — is the preseason pick to win the conference. Sparty reached the Final Four for the eighth time under Tom Izzo, falling to Texas Tech in the National Semifinals. 6-foot-1 senior <span>Cassius Winston</span> (18.8 points per game, 7.5 assists per game) is the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and an AP Preseason All-American. Oh...and Michigan State signed top-50 recruit <span>Mark “Rocket” Watts</span> to be his heir apparent. The Spartans also added four-star forward and Naperville native <span>Malik Hall</span>. However, they will be without senior <span>Joshua Langford</span> indefinitely due to a leg injury. Michigan State was a terrific shooting team last year (48 percent FG, 37.8 percent 3-point) and pounded the boards, out-rebounding opponents by 8.8 per game. It’s going take an amazing effort to beat the Spartans again.</li>
</ul>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Final Four-Semifinals-Michigan State vs Texas Tech" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_8zIHk6pMXFPlVCBg06wUbPYxV4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19303894/usa_today_12489856.jpg">
<cite>Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Michigan State guard Cassius Winston (#5) was voted the Preseason B1G Player of the Year.</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="dl9kDg">
<strong>Purdue (26-10; 16-4 B1G)</strong>: The Boilermakers have been picked to finish fourth in the B1G, but have to replace three starters from last season’s Elite Eight team (<span>Ryan Cline</span>, <span>Carsen Edwards</span>, <span>Grady Eifert</span>). Purdue boasts an imposing frontcourt with sophomore <span>Trevion Williams</span> (6-foot-9, 270) & junior center <span>Matt Haarms</span> (7-foot-3, 250). Chicago-area native <span>Nojel Eastern</span> was very solid against B1G competition, averaging 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in conference play. He should see a serious uptick in his offensive numbers now with Edwards gone. Matt Painter’s squad comes to Champaign on Jan. 5, with a rematch 16 days later in West Lafayette.</li>
<li id="LgOUya">
<strong>Wisconsin (23-11; 14-6 B1G)</strong>: The Fighting Illini just snapped their nine-game football losing streak against the Badgers (perhaps you heard about it), but the basketball team is looking to stop an even longer skid. Wisconsin has beaten Illinois 15 straight times on the hardwood, <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/2/16/18216892/champaign-room-illinois-basketball-vs-wisconsin-14-game-losing-streak-big-ten-hoops-badgers">dating back to January 2011</a>. This could finally be the year the streak comes to an end. There are big changes in Madison with the losses of <span>Ethan Happ</span> & Khalil Iverson. <span>D’Mitrik Trice</span> is the Badgers’ leading returning scorer, and the onus will be on him, as well as <span>Kobe King</span> and <span>Nate Reuvers</span>, to lead the way for Wiscy. Reuvers reminds me a lot of Frank Kaminsky, and Badger fans will be ecstatic if he makes the same leap his junior year that Kaminsky did. Wisconsin, picked sixth in the B1G, will mix it up with the Illini on Jan. 8 at the Kohl Center.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Wisconsin" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sZELQqVvKP71ZgvzeoGbMntEmOQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19318582/usa_today_12269835.jpg">
<cite>Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="RXsveL">
<strong>Rutgers (14-17; 7-13 B1G)</strong>: We’ll get two editions of #Illinutgers this year — Jan. 11 in Champaign and Feb. 15 in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights were picked 12th in the conference, ahead of only Nebraska and Northwestern. Leading scorer <span>Eugene Omoruyi</span> transferred to Oregon, but Rutgers brings back three key contributors — guards <span>Geo Baker</span> & <span>Montez Mathis</span> and forward<span> Ron Harper Jr</span>. Coach Steve Pikiell also added an in-state three-star point guard, Paul Mulcahy. The Scarlet Knights need to shoot better from the free throw line (63.1% in ‘18-19) and three-point range (31.2%) if they hope to take a serious leap in the B1G.</li>
<li id="H9C4pp">
<strong>Northwestern (13-19; 4-16 B1G)</strong>: The Wildcats are in the Big Ten basement, picked dead last in the league. Head coach <span>Chris Collins</span> will always be remembered fondly in Evanston as the one who guided Northwestern to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2017. But the Wildcats have regressed in the two seasons since. The team’s top three scorers — <span>Vic Law</span>, <span>Dererk Pardon</span> & <span>Ryan Taylor</span> — are gone, and <span>Jordan Ash</span> (Wright State), <span>Barret Benson</span> (Southern Illinois) & <span>Aaron Falzon</span> (Quinnipiac) each transferred. The rest of the roster is very inexperienced; <span>Anthony Gaines</span>, <span>Miller Kopp</span>, and <span>A.J. Turner</span> are the only returning players who averaged double-digit <em>minutes</em> last season. One really fascinating story is that of <a href="https://www.collegecrosse.com/2019/6/13/18678013/pat-spencer-basketball-loyola-greyhounds-northwestern-wildcats-lacrosse-ncaa-lax-hoops-chris-collins">grad transfer Pat Spencer</a>, who joined Northwestern after spending four years at Loyola-Maryland...as an All-American lacrosse player. All signs are pointing to a rough year for the Cats, who play the Illini twice — Jan. 18 at SFC and Feb. 27 at Welsh-Ryan.</li>
<li id="0gCM3P">
<strong>Minnesota (22-14; 9-11 B1G)</strong>: Following back-to-back road games versus Purdue and Michigan the Illini host the Golden Gophers on Jan. 30. Pitino The Younger guided Minnesota back to the NCAA Tournament last season, losing to Michigan State in the Round of 32. The Gophers will be tasked with replacing the losses of All-Big Ten players <span>Amir Coffey</span> & <span>Jordan Murphy</span>, as well as key contributors <span>Dupree McBrayer</span> & Isaiah Washington. Pitt transfer <span>Marcus Carr</span> & Vanderbilt transfer <span>Payton Willis</span> join a young core led by sophomores <span>Gabe Kalscheur</span> & <span>Daniel Otoru</span>. The Illini frontcourt of <span>Giorgi Bezhanishvili</span> & Kofi Cockburn will be tested against a Minnesota roster with five players 6-foot-9 or taller. </li>
<li id="BZzSVt">
<strong>Iowa (23-12; 10-10 B1G)</strong>: The Hawkeyes are projected to finish eighth in the B1G, right behind the Illini. Coach Fran McCaffery’s squad advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, but there are major questions surrounding the Hawkeyes entering 2019. Big men <span>Jack Nunge</span> & <span>Cordell Pemsl</span> were redshirted last year due to injury. <span>Nicholas Baer</span> graduated. <span>Tyler Cook</span> left for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA draft</a>. <span>Maishe Dailey</span> & <span>Isaiah Moss</span> transferred. Senior <span>Jordan Bohannon</span> could miss the season after undergoing hip surgery. Despite these blows, Iowa does have a good core coming back. Starting center <span>Luka Garza</span> is the team’s leading returning scorer. Guard <span>Connor McCaffery</span> led the Hawkeyes in assists 15 times. Sophomore <span>Joe Wieskamp</span> is the team’s top three-point shooter (42.4%), and was named to the watch list for the 2020 Jerry West Award. And the Hawkeyes added depth with grad transfer guard <span>Bakari Evelyn</span>. Iowa smashed Illinois twice last season, winning by a combined 45 points and shooting 27-of-44 from beyond the arc. The Illini will get two chances to exact revenge — Feb. 20 in Iowa City and March 8 in Champaign.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Illinois at Iowa" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ni6smmSerEjlAvtj82ZrMABlO-I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19314281/usa_today_12036874.jpg">
<cite>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Iowa guard Joe Wieskamp was 8-8 from the field in last year’s regular season game versus the Illini.</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="CKzhr4">
<strong>Penn State (14-18; 7-13 B1G)</strong>: Patrick Chambers enters year nine (!) as head coach of the Nittany Lions. After 26 wins and an NIT title in 2018 Penn State finished tied for 10th in conference play last season. Not much more is expected this year, as the Nittany Lions are picked ninth in the B1G (though Andy Katz has projected them to make the NCAA Tournament). <span>Rasir Bolton</span> & <span>Josh Reaves</span> — PSU’s top three-point shooters — have moved on, but stud forward <span>Lamar Stevens</span> returns to Happy Valley for his senior season. Stevens is the team’s leading scorer (19.9 points per game) and rebounder (7.7), and has started 104 straight games, the longest active streak in Division I. He also dominated Illinois last season, with a combined 41 points and 14 rebounds in two games — both Penn State wins. There’s just something about the Nittany Lions that gives the Illini fits. Don’t overlook this road matchup Feb. 18th. </li>
<li id="Wc4qc8">
<strong>Nebraska (19-17; 6-14 B1G)</strong>: The Cornhuskers and Illini square off Feb. 24 at State Farm Center. Nebrasketball has undergone a major overhaul in the offseason. Only two (!) players remain from last year’s side, <span>Thorir Thorbjarnarson</span> and <span>Dachon Burke</span>, a transfer from Robert Morris who sat out the season. Fred Hoiberg was hired as head coach, replacing Tim Miles. “The Mayor” isn’t particularly fond of traditional recruiting, so he’s implemented a strategy that served him well while coaching at Iowa State: transfers, transfers, and more transfers. Former Marquette & Florida Gulf Coast guard <span>Haanif Cheatham</span> will be suiting up for the Huskers this year, as will Seattle grad transfer <span>Matej Kavacs</span>. Hoiberg also brought in two players from the JUCO ranks, <span>Jervay Green</span> & <span>Cam Mack</span> (and three other D1 transfers that won’t be eligible until next season — <span>Dalano Banton</span>, Shamiel Stevenson, <span>Derrick Walker</span>). Three-point shooting was a huge part of Hoiberg’s Cyclone teams, so Nebraska could be a problem if it can make shots from beyond the arch.</li>
<li id="ojn19Q">
<strong>Indiana (19-16; 8-12 B1G)</strong>: IU was probably the most befuddling team in the conference last season. Indiana inexplicably beat Michigan State twice last year, but also went through a stretch of 12 losses in 13 games (though they swept Illinois, because of course they did). Head coach Archie Miller has tried to rebuild this Hoosiers roster <em>with</em> Hoosiers; six in-state products have signed with the team in Miller’s two recruiting classes, including Indiana Mr. Basketball winners <span>Romeo Langford</span> and <span>Trayce Jackson-Davis</span>. Langford is now in the NBA, and Jackson-Davis was a top-20 recruit in 2019. Starters <span>Al Durham</span>, <span>Rob Phinisee</span> & <span>Justin Smith</span> return for the Hoosiers, and 6-foot-11 Butler transfer <span>Joey Brunk</span> will add experience and bulk to their frontcourt. I’m honestly surprised that IU has been picked 10th in the league — I expect them to land in the top half of the B1G by season’s end, which should result in another NCAA berth. The Hoosiers and Illini meet at the O.G. Assembly Hall on March 1.</li>
<li id="51KULq">
<strong>Ohio State (20-15; 8-12 B1G)</strong>: The Buckeyes were a somewhat surprising entry in the NCAA Tournament, but scored a first-round upset before losing to Houston. The media is very high on the Buckeyes this year, with good reason. Chris Holtmann’s squad is flush with talent. <span>C.J. Jackson</span> & <span>Keyshawn Woods</span> depart Columbus, and junior <span>Musa Jallow</span> will miss the early part of the season because of ankle surgery. But the Buckeyes cleaned up in the offseason, adding four-star forward <span>Alonzo Gaffney</span>, Iowa Mr. Basketball <span>D.J. Carton</span> and two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball<span> E.J. Liddell</span> (yeah, we’re not mad about that AT ALL). These fantastic freshmen will join a lineup that includes <span>Andre Wesson</span>, <span>Kaleb Wesson</span>, and <span>Luther Muhammad</span>. This team doesn’t have an obvious flaw and this game could be a tantalizing late-season showdown. Ohio State hosts the Fighting Illini either March 4th or March 5th. </li>
</ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Second Round-Houston vs Ohio State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z9k8ZCShyTgIr3XjMaSEyWjKACw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19318587/usa_today_12411290.jpg">
<cite>Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="JtLyQD">
<p id="FQXjxw">Most college basketball media are forecasting an Illini resurgence. Obviously, we’ll know way more about this team in January or February than we will in November or December. Nonetheless, this could be a very unpredictable year in the B1G, and a top-seven finish will more than likely secure an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2013.</p>
<div id="oLE52J"><div data-anthem-component="poll:8906892"></div></div>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/25/20921102/illinois-basketball-schedule-preview-the-b1g-kofi-cockburn-cassius-winston-joe-wieskampDrew Pastorek2019-10-23T09:05:00-05:002019-10-23T09:05:00-05:00Illinois Basketball 2019-20 Roster Preview: The Seniors
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament-Northwestern vs Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6_QqV8ShKSfmURjElSwdd2xxtCk=/0x131:3600x2531/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65536963/usa_today_12340896.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Do it for them. </p> <p id="BLUx1x">We might never get another <span>Aaron Jordan</span> or <span>Malcolm Hill</span> — a four-year scholarship player who never makes a NCAA Tournament. The closest the Illini might get again is with <span>Trent Frazier</span> and Da’Monte Williams, and the two of them still have two years to make a tourney (which is most definitely the expectation right now). </p>
<p id="okkGMA">Clearly, those two players (Frazier and Williams) are only juniors, and they’re only considered because the two seniors on this year’s team don’t qualify by that logic. There’s <span>Andres Feliz</span>, who enters his second and final year with the Illini, and <span>Kipper Nichols</span>, who technically is playing his fourth season for Illinois, but didn’t play the entire 2016-17 season. </p>
<p id="Zz856H">So, these are the culture changers, but not the program changers that Brad Underwood brought in. </p>
<h2 id="TwMzrC"><strong>Andres Feliz</strong></h2>
<h3 id="0wxP5b"><strong>2018-19 Stats: 33 GP (4 starts), 8.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 74 assists, 51 turnovers, 33 steals, 45% FG (27% 3-point FG, 75.5% FT) </strong></h3>
<p id="AwFFID">You can call Dre a “glue guy” for this 2019-20 team, but I’d go even further and call him the damn thing that is holding this team together. Last year Feliz was a bit of an unknown, even if we knew he was pretty decent. He could always come off the bench and provide a spark for the team — now, we <em>know </em>he can do that, and he’ll need to. </p>
<p id="ITJILI">With teams cracking down on Ayo and Trent (and to not tire anyone out), it’s so important Feliz can be that guy off the bench again. Plus, just think of some of his moments (especially against Northwestern in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament">Big Ten Tournament</a>) show how aggressive he can be driving at the rim. And his defense. We love his defense. </p>
<p id="60PwuB">Barring injuries, Feliz likely won’t start any games this year, but that’s fine. To have a veteran winner on the bench who accepts his role is huge. If his three-point shooting improves to about 35 percent and he can get to the line a bit more, that 10 PPG is going to be huge for a team looking to be ranked. </p>
<p id="IbeWg4">Brad knows he can count on Andres whenever, and he shouldn’t be afraid to. </p>
<h2 id="9JK7Qt"><strong>Kipper Nichols</strong></h2>
<h3 id="vxjtGI"><strong>2018-19 Stats: 33 games (14 starts), 5.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36 assists, 27 turnovers, 10 blocks, 19 steals, 42.7% FG (21.9% 3-point FG, 57.9% FT) </strong></h3>
<p id="FIYaMm">If you had Kipper still on this Illinois team as a scholarship player in 2019-20, you’re lying. To be honest, I’m stunned he’s still on the team. I’m not upset by any means — I’m glad he’s stuck around — but he wasn’t supposed to last this long. </p>
<p id="KVP37k">Especially when he was benched at points last year. </p>
<p id="kUcoX8">There was a significant drop-off from his sophomore to junior seasons, and it might be even more severe as a senior. Kip likely won’t start 14 games or play too much overall, but Nichols really always seems to have a good attitude, and, it’s cliche, but can show the younger guys the ropes. There’s nothing wrong with that. </p>
<p id="Dh8fIv">When it comes down to it, he’s not a three-point shooter, a free throw shooter, or a shooter. His ball handling isn’t guard-level, and his size can’t compete with Big Ten bigs, especially when the Illini have some bigger guys now. </p>
<p id="u4QKfq">But Brad will find a role for him, and if Kipper’s effort is there, he’ll play it well and hopefully help the team win a bit. </p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/23/20924120/illinois-basketball-2019-20-roster-preview-the-seniors-andres-feliz-kipper-nihcols-brad-underwoodStephen Cohn2019-10-17T09:02:43-05:002019-10-17T09:02:43-05:00Illinois Basketball Schedule Preview: The Non-Conference Slate
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Indiana at Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a4ZSl_w2P3w5PNaAvAJ9rf18XUc=/0x238:2400x1838/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65489716/usa_today_12303815.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are plenty of opportunites for early victories.</p> <p id="8ghcVE">Last season the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team played one of the most demanding schedules in the country. Gonzaga, Iowa State, Xavier, Georgetown, Notre Dame, UNLV and Missouri were each featured on the 2018-19 schedule. All but one of those opponents — UNLV — defeated Illinois. It actually could’ve been even tougher (the Illini avoided playing Duke, Arizona, Auburn and San Diego State in the Maui Invitational). And I didn’t even mention the newly-introduced 20-game B1G season.</p>
<p id="fIg5fK">Year three for Brad Underwood is a big one. Illinois <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/11/20909683/notebook-underwood-press-conference-brad-underwood-trent-frazier-andres-feliz-kipper-nichols">has actual expectations</a>, with many analysts predicting a return to the NCAA Tournament. And there are plenty of opportunites for the Orange and Blue to load up on wins against lesser foes prior to B1G play.</p>
<p id="aQh3oq">I’ve lumped these 11 games into three categories: Absolutely Can’t Lose, Tweeners, and Most Meaningful. I’ll also offer a brief description on each opponent. Pitter patter, let’s get at her.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="S2c8o4">
<h2 id="jvkRIZ"><strong>Absolutely Can’t Lose </strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="oAhHA1">Nicholls: The Colonels finished 14-17 last season and tied for ninth in the Southland Conference. They also are without their top two scorers from a year ago. Transfer students comprise most of Nicholls’ roster, including former West Virginia guard <span>D’Angelo Hunter</span>. The Illini tend to do very well in season openers — I don’t expect the Colonels to buck that trend. </li>
<li id="Ds4He4">The Citadel: Simply put, one of the worst programs in Division I. The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina, hasn’t produced a winning season since 2008-2009. Oh, and the Bulldogs lost their top three scorers. The Citadel was pretty good offensively (85.1 points/game last year) but worse defensively (86.1 ppg). Illinois will likely put up their highest point total of the season in this matchup.</li>
<li id="c6PSjY">Hampton: The Pirates capped off an 18-17 season with a loss to Marshall in the semifinals of the <a href="http://CollegeInsider.com">CollegeInsider.com</a> Tournament. Hampton boasts an elite scorer in senior guard <span>Jermaine Marrow</span>, whose 854 points (24.4 points per game) was just two shy of the program’s single-season scoring record. Marrow — who considered transferring during the offseason — enters 2019 within striking distance of Hampton’s all-time scoring mark, set by former NBA big man Rick Mahorn. Marrow will be a challenge to defend, but Illinois should be fine here.</li>
<li id="UYdA6f">Lindenwood: This game, set for Nov. 26th in Champaign, was the last of the non-league dates to be filled. Lindenwood is a Division II school located in St. Charles, MO, a northwestern suburb of St. Louis. The Lions do have former Indiana guard <span>Vijay Blackmon</span> on their roster, but there is absolutely zero excuse to lose this one. </li>
<li id="eKVWGN">North Carolina A&T: This matchup on December 29th is the Illini’s final tune-up before B1G play. The Aggies have had some recent success, with 39 victories the past two years. However, A&T’s top four scorers from last season have all moved on. The Christmas break games are always tricky (see: Florida Atlantic), but I don’t expect much resistance from the Aggies.</li>
</ul>
<p id="wt4KmC"><strong>Result: 5-0</strong></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="hygvUJ">
<h2 id="a00bHs"><strong>Tweeners</strong></h2>
<p id="hD9CkV"><small>These are matchups where Illinois will likely be favored to win, but won’t sting too badly if they lose.</small></p>
<ul>
<li id="xCGTlg">@ Grand Canyon: The first of two “true” road games for the Illini and the second half of a home-and-home series against Antelopes. Illinois won a tight one in Champaign, 62-58, in 2017. In case you aren’t familiar, there were some Illini ties to GCU (former Illini <span>Michael Finke</span> came as a grad transfer last season to play with his younger brother, <span>Tim</span>, who has since transferred to Wright State). Dan Majerle has definitely made his mark coaching the Antelopes, winning 89 games the past four seasons. GCU was picked to finished second in the WAC behind New Mexico St., and added an impact transfer in point guard <span>Jaylen Fisher</span>. This is a mid-major who has not been shy about playing top competition.</li>
<li id="GWy14a">Hawaii: The Rainbow Warriors come to State Farm Center on November 18th. Head coach Eran Ganot has lifted Hawaii’s program to new heights, registering a school-record 77 wins in a four-season span. UH went 18-13 last season, including victories over Utah, Colorado, and Rhode Island. The Warriors were a pretty stingy defensive team, holding opponents to 68.7 points per game (by comparison, the Illini allowed 75 points/game). The lengthy trip to Illinois could adversely affect them, but Hawaii is a well-coached squad and will be prepared to play.</li>
<li id="Np0f5k">Old Dominion: What if I told you that the Monarchs are the <em>only </em>non-conference opponent that made the Big Dance last year? ODU compiled 26 victories and a Conference USA Tournament title before losing to Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini could face their stiffest defensive test of the non-B1G season; ODU held teams to fewer than 61 points/game and just 32% from three-point range in ‘18-19.</li>
</ul>
<p id="NqQ3DM"><strong>Result: 2-1</strong></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="74hgIE">
<h2 id="fGj5zb"><strong>Most Meaningful</strong></h2>
<p id="smIEw7"><small>These are the wins that will satisfy Fighting Illini fans the most.</small></p>
<ul>
<li id="bmF7Gz">@ Arizona: Illinois travels to Tucson on November 10th. The Wildcats finished 17-15 overall and a meager 8-10 in the Pac-12. Arizona should be going dancing again this year thanks to some major additions. Grad transfers Stone Gettings & <span>Max Hazzard</span>, along with five-star freshmen <span>Josh Green</span> & <span>Nico Mannion</span>, join a supremely talented core including <span>Devonaire Doutrive</span>, <span>Chase Jeter</span>, and <span>Brandon Williams</span>. This roster is stacked and may be the Illini’s most difficult opponent all season, B1G included. No matter what happens, at least we’ll always have 2005.</li>
<li id="AqSxp3">Miami (FL): Illinois will host the Hurricanes on Dec. 2nd as part of the yearly B1G/ACC Challenge. Miami has won two straight against the Illini, including a 63-59 victory in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Leading scorer Chris Lykes is back, and the Canes loaded up on transfers, adding former Cincinnati center <span>Nysier Brooks</span>, former Oklahoma guard <span>Kameron McGusty</span> and Florida transfer <span>Keith Stone</span>. Jim Larranaga’s team should be markedly better than last year’s 18-loss squad.</li>
<li id="SAtFR7">Missouri: The Braggin’ Rights game had lost its luster during the middle part of this decade. But the turf war has been reignited the past few seasons, with both the Illini and Tigers competing for many of the same players. <span>Parker Braun</span>, <span>Mario McKinney</span>, <span>Javon Pickett</span> & <span>Jeremiah Tilmon</span> were all Illinois targets or commits that wound up in Columbia. Oh, and there’s that whole <span>Mark Smith</span> thing. Yeah, I’d say fans are gassed up for this rivarly again. The passion and intensity are back. <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2018/12/21/18150939/its-no-longer-just-about-braggin-illinois-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-missouri-mizzou-tigers">It means more now</a>. </li>
</ul>
<p id="T3u9rb"><strong>Result: 1-2</strong></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8WYBxJ">
<p id="2pKnjv">Last season an 8-3 non-conference record would’ve been sensational. This year? Anything worse than that will be viewed as an immense disappointment. There aren’t enough marquee games to lift up the Illini’s overall strength of schedule — especially if they lose to both ‘Zona and Miznoz (yuck). The Big Dance is a realistic goal for Illinois. Cleaning up in the non-conference season will be critical to the team’s future success.</p>
<div id="AIoczu"><div data-anthem-component="poll:8895087"></div></div>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/17/20913235/illinois-fighting-illini-basketball-schedule-preview-the-non-conference-slate-hawaii-arizona-mizzouDrew Pastorek2019-10-15T08:35:00-05:002019-10-15T08:35:00-05:00Illinois Basketball 2019-20 Roster Preview: The Juniors
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Illinois at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pheSxJSA1wITqZLAiD2Gl3QOTH8=/0x0:4366x2911/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65469777/usa_today_12036869.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Just two remain from Underwood’s original freshmen class.</p> <p id="CkMWSF">The junior class welcomed a few newcomers this offseason in <span>Austin Hutcherson</span> and <span>Jacob Grandison</span>, two guys I’m going to skip over since they won’t make their appearance until next season. </p>
<p id="WrhU0Y"><span>Trent Frazier</span> and Da’Monte Wiliams are all that remains from Brad Underwood’s original freshmen class. Their college careers have taken completely different paths thus far.</p>
<h2 id="zb4Ynu"><strong>Trent Frazier</strong></h2>
<p id="5ZqrVz"><strong>2018-19 Stats: 13.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, 40.6% 3-PT</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga at Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9QkY1ultwNpLRgADEAPLxLXNNqw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13463317/usa_today_11701445.jpg">
<cite>Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="O7jrcO"><em>(Those orange throwbacks are so, so good.)</em></p>
<p id="fBGjyo">A former All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection himself, Trent Frazier took a step forward last year. As arguably the only returning bright spot from Brad Underwood’s first season, Frazier wound up at the top of many opposing team’s scouting reports.</p>
<p id="PvQn0Z">In just his second game of the year, he had one of the most impressive performances by any Illini last season. He led an undermatched Illinois squad down to the wire against a top-5 Gonzaga team in the first game of the Maui Invitational. Frazier would finish with 29 points on 6-of-13 shooting from three, a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe, and five steals to go along with a pair of assists. </p>
<p id="nPcWGH">We know the kid can shoot. We’ve seen that over the past two years. Now — with a potential lottery pick in the backcourt alongside him — I want to see consistency from Frazier. He’s not going to draw the opposing team’s best defender which will play in his favor. Ayo is a threat to score attacking the basket, pulling up in the lane, behind the arc, and everywhere in between. Teams will have to honor that, which should lead to more open looks for Frazier behind the arc to do what he does best. Cut down on the turnovers, and he’ll be fine. </p>
<p id="OJJcey">He’s also a hell of an on-ball defender, seemingly a trend of Underwood’s guards. On seven occasions last season, Frazier tallied at least three steals. Between <span>Andres Feliz</span>, Dosunmu and Trent, these guys are going to pester the piss out of ball handlers all year long.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="nn2qOx">
<h2 id="uI2Lzx"><strong>Da’Monte Williams</strong></h2>
<p id="KIKCKT"><strong>2018-19 Stats: 3.5 RPG, 3.4 PPG, 1.2 APG</strong></p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Illinois at Minnesota" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D7VUsfxY7UPZ5n_wJjkErylzYsQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19288280/usa_today_12082466.jpg">
<cite>Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="28WPV6">I’m really not sure where to start with Da’Monte. A former four-star recruit and top-100 prospect according to some recruiting services, Williams was averaging over 25 points per game in high school before he tore his ACL.</p>
<p id="GElcSo">I tried not to look too much into his freshman season, assuming he never really recovered from his high school injury. Just reevaluate the kid after year two and an entire offseason to get healthy.</p>
<p id="EVKyVO">But then he followed up his frosh campaign with an almost identical sophomore performance.</p>
<p id="O0RVp3">He’s long and a plus rebounder, but he hasn’t shown any sign of being a scoring threat in any offensive aspect whatsoever. His career-high through 64 games and over 1,200 minutes is just 11 points. He’s not a stellar enough defender to crack the lineup on his defense alone. This is the year he takes a backseat to guys like <span>Alan Griffin</span>, <span>Tevian Jones</span>, and even Andres Feliz.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/15/20914926/illinois-basketball-2019-20-roster-preview-juniors-fighting-illini-trent-frazier-damonte-williamsTristen Kissack2019-10-07T08:05:00-05:002019-10-07T08:05:00-05:00Illinois Basketball 2019-20 Roster Preview: The Sophomores
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Media Day" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/964rT0B6_Lu-9v9fkHr1vz8whlY=/0x108:3000x2108/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65408936/usa_today_13451517.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Can a sophomore core get the job done?</p> <p id="YUI2QS">If you look up the history and etymology for the word “sophomore”, this is what you’ll find:</p>
<blockquote><p id="Enytoi">perhaps from Greek<em> sophos </em>wise + <em>moros </em>foolish</p></blockquote>
<p id="kLDiwB">That feels so appropriate. Thinking you’ve got the game of high school, college or life in general figured out just to be slapped in the face by it. Now, I’m not saying the sophomores listed below are fools, or over their skis, but it feels like a nice definition for Illinois Basketball. We have the history and the learned experience to be cautious and wise, but every fall comes around and we start whispering “Sweet Sixteen” or “top-four Big Ten finish”. And those rumblings are more sincere than ever this year, and most of that sincerity is thanks to this group of sophomores.</p>
<h2 id="Oq8lM6"><span><strong>Ayo Dosunmu</strong></span></h2>
<p id="LAu7pP">It would be irresponsible to start with anyone else.</p>
<p id="J0ttPu">This is now Ayo Dosunmu’s team and program. The guard out of Chicago will likely finish his career as one of the best Illini of the decade, and perhaps the most talented Illini since 2005.</p>
<p id="PIttcp">Ayo clearly became a team leader and go-to player during Big Ten season and was not afraid to take and make big clutch shots late in close games. Dosunmu is this team’s leader and closer. When the game matters the ball has to be in his hands, and he’s smart enough to make the best play for the team.</p>
<p id="tiyBVv">Ayo quelled the nerves around his jumpshot after shooting 35% from three on over four attempts per game. He came to Champaign with an elite knack of getting to the basket. Underwood mentioned that he has put on 20 pounds for the upcoming season. Ayo has the long frame of an NBA player and was surely told to improve his strength from NBA scouts. With a year under his belt and some hype surrounding him, hopefully the refs finally call some fouls on Dosunmu and he can get to the line a bit more. For as strong of a penetrator as he is, he should be getting to the line much more than three times per game. If that number shoots up to six or seven attempts per game, Dosunmu’s scoring average is going to close in on 20 PPG.</p>
<p id="XSquVy">Dosunmu will also lead the team in assists and be the best perimeter defender. His size and quickness gives him great versatility on the defensive end.</p>
<p id="HzfPbK">I could ramble on and on, but if you watched any Illinois basketball at all you know how good Ayo was last year and how good he is going to be this year. He has been selected to the Preseason All-Big Ten First Team, and I will be genuinely surprised if he doesn’t receive that honor in March. Depending on where the Illini finish in the standings, Dosunmu will have a real chance at Player of the Year honors as well.</p>
<h2 id="bL9gVp"><span><strong>Giorgi Bezhanishvili</strong></span></h2>
<p id="0S0nD0">The Big Georgian was our diamond in the rough last year.</p>
<p id="pGhzzM">As a freshman, Giorgi was the teams third-leading scorer, leading rebounder and leading shot blocker. Absolutely nobody saw that coming. He will have some help down low this season with addition of <span>Kofi Cockburn</span>, but Bezhanisvili will still be the go-to big man for the Illini, especially on offense.</p>
<p id="OUBrHB">The key to a successful season for Giorgi is to cut down on the mistakes. Mainly, cut down on his fouls. He spoke at Big Ten Media Day about how Illini fans will see a more mature version of him this season. Ideally, Illinois will get 30 minutes per game out of Bezhanishvili. In order for that to happen he can’t lead the conference in fouls again. In 33 games played, he fouled out 10 times and had 4 or more fouls in 21 games. Those numbers have to come way down to about three and 13, respectively.</p>
<p id="TVsTHZ">Giorgi showed off the best low-post offensive game Illini fans have seen all decade. Expect to see Underwood run his offense through the talented scorer and passer even more from 15 feet and in. There’s not much he can improve on that front.</p>
<p id="o88BcT">The one thing to look out for with Giorgi this season is his shot. Is that something he can add to his game this season? He took a few last season, but it didn’t go well for him. He finished the year shooting 5-for-30, which was good for 16%. Can that become 28-32% on a similar amount of attempts? If it can, that will change how coaches have to scheme Illinois with him on the floor.</p>
<h2 id="z8WqNk"><span><strong>Alan Griffin</strong></span></h2>
<p id="UGCPGa">Griffin was the star of the offseason.</p>
<p id="sIXhu2">After a quiet freshman season, Griffin impressed at open scrimmages at Ubben and on the team’s <a href="https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/8/12/20801382/illinois-basketball-italy-recap-fighting-illini-offseason-ayo-dosunmu-alan-griffin">Italy Trip</a>. Griffin came to Champaign with the label as a sharpshooter and he showed off that range in Italy with a 30-point performance.</p>
<p id="fTjwWq">Griffin’s aggressiveness and ability to get the little things done impressed during summer workouts. Crashing the offensible boards, playing smart defense, running the floor and impacting the game with energy.</p>
<p id="NvWqaK">One of the reasons for Illinois’ struggles last season was wing play. The Illini could not find a consistent contributor to play the three. I was — and still am — holding out hope for Da’Monte Williams, but he did not take the sophomore leap like many had hoped. Now, Underwood will turn to Alan Griffin and Tevian Jones to make that leap. He needs at least one of them to take that role in order to have a go-to five-man lineup when things get tight. That guy needs to be a versatile and smart defender who can go head to head with the other sides versatile wing scorers. That’s one of the reasons why Iowa beat us to a pulp last year — they have a long list of 6-foot-6 forwards who can score, and we had no one to match up with them.</p>
<p id="bsAv7j">As of today, I would guess that Alan Griffin will be the starting small forward when the Illini tip the season off. There’s still a chance Underwood values Williams’ defense, but when push comes to shove I think Griffin will crack the starting rotation.</p>
<h2 id="ewTQCa"><strong>Tevian Jones</strong></h2>
<p id="vBzKSD">I raved about Tevian Jones when he was coming in as a freshman. We saw flashes last season, and this year we need to see consistency.</p>
<p id="tNOvNA">Tevian Jones’ spotlight performance came against Maryland at Madison Square Garden. He came in and shot 4-of-9 from three and had an electrifying dunk to knock off the Terps. He’s a perfect compliment to Ayo offensively — an incredibly long and bouncy forward who can splash threes at an efficient rate and run the floor with Ayo and throw down nasty dunks. </p>
<p id="evCJ3c">He should see increased and steady playing time by firmly moving into Underwood’s rotation. Hopefully that provides Jones confidence and can bring about consistent results. While he can turn into a matchup nightmare for opposing teams, he first will have to become a defender. That was Jones’ most glaring week spot last season. If anyone with a strong handle got Jones isolated they could blow by him with ease. Jones was experiencing the classic “speed of the game” problem at times. </p>
<p id="no3l34">Hopefully an offseason of reps will help to slow things down for the talented sophomore from California. If he can approach his high ceiling this year, then the Illini might just have enough firepower to reach and surpass some lofty preseason expectations.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/10/7/20901325/illinois-basketball-2019-20-roster-preview-the-sophomores-fighting-illini-ayo-dosunmuMatt ONeall2019-09-30T08:05:00-05:002019-09-30T08:05:00-05:00Illinois Basketball 2019-2020 Roster Preview: The Freshmen
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<figcaption>University of Illinois | illinois.edu</figcaption>
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<p>Size Matters.</p> <p id="mtAtbw">This is the first year under Brad Underwood where there won’t be at least five true freshmen on scholarship. </p>
<p id="qhCa64">In 2017, five of the 11 rotation players were true freshmen, and last year there were six true freshmen on scholarship. Of those 11 freshmen over the last two seasons, only six remain on the current Illini roster.</p>
<p id="92r98K">The 2019-20 Fighting Illini are a much more experienced team and will not need to lean as heavily on the freshmen class this time around. Of the 11 eligible scholarship players, three are freshmen. With two sit-out redshirt transfers on the roster, it’s unlikely the Illini will be able to redshirt any of the three newcomers.</p>
<h2 id="WnrWBo"><strong>Kofi Cockburn</strong></h2>
<p id="0NI1PO">Cockburn is the prize recruit of the 2019 recruiting class. Orlando Antigua helped to land the 300-pound, 7-footer from Kingston, Jamaica. Cockburn played his high school basketball in New York and dominated the competition with his size and strength.</p>
<p id="maVZsE">The four-star big man checked in at No. 44 on the final RSCI recruiting rankings and is the second top 50-talent Underwood has brought to Champaign in the last two seasons. </p>
<p id="sJCHs6">Cockburn can provide an intimidating presence on the block that the Illini have been lacking for the latter half of the decade. The Illini have been woeful on defense since Underwood arrived and much of that is due to the disadvantage down low in Big Ten play. <span>Leron Black</span> and <span>Giorgi Bezhanishvili</span> have had terrific offensive seasons the last two years, but strength and defense wasn’t either player’s calling card. Cockburn gives the Illini a true B1G center who can bang bodies and clear people out of the paint.</p>
<p id="3D8Z2a">Cockburn is going to need some time with Fletch. He has an outstanding frame to work with, but he needs to cut down his weight from 300 pounds and transform his body. It will be interesting to see how he looks after his first summer with a collegiate strength and conditioning program. Expect to hear stories from every broadcast crew recounting how much weight Cockburn has lost all season long.</p>
<p id="T3EsCb">Kofi Cockburn will be an interesting fit on a Brad Underwood team. He brings a contrasting style that Underwood will have to mold his game plan to fit. If you watched any of Cockburn’s games in high school you will have noticed that he’s not huge on the whole concept of moving his feet. He was more or less a statue on both ends of the floor. He guarded the basket on one end, and stood under it waiting for someone to throw him the ball on the other end.</p>
<p id="pRFxcB">That’s not going to work here. </p>
<p id="OeJUmR">He’s not going to be able to get by on just being the biggest and strongest guy on the court (even though he likely still will be). He’s going to have to commit to learning new aspects of the game. He has an opportunity to be a lethal screener and dive man in addition to his preferred post-ups from eight feet and in. I don’t expect Cockburn to be an elite shot blocker until he changes his body, but he can be an elite rebounder, lane clogger and post defender. He has the frame, he has the tools, the only question will be if he has the motor.</p>
<p id="XrWqvN">Underwood will have to adjust as well. It’s not Kofi Cockburn’s game to be denying entry passes to opposing centers 18 feet from the basket. Frankly, it shouldn’t be a tactic we really employ at all. Underwood and Kofi Cockburn are going to have to meet somewhere in the middle on their stylistic ideals when it comes to basketball if Cockburn is going to reach his full potential in the Orange and Blue.</p>
<p id="FemNCp">I don’t think Kofi Cockburn will start many games as a freshman, but he’ll see plenty of playing time. I think he’ll play close to 20 minutes per night and has a very good chance to lead the team in rebounding as a true freshman.</p>
<h2 id="E0aFmq"><strong>Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk</strong></h2>
<p id="NhxAEP">First ballot entrance in the the Name HOF. BBV. Verdonkulous. The Bossman. Between Kofi Cockburn and BBV, the freshmen class is strong in the name department.</p>
<p id="Ufbp2I">BBV is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound freshman from Belgium. An Underwood special.</p>
<p id="5KCCCo">The tradition continues of Underwood bringing in unheralded recruits from outside the United States. Now, we wait and see if we got a Matic or a Giorgi.</p>
<p id="CyptMG">Unlike the aforementioned imports, BBV isn’t a traditional big man. He is an oversized and long wing who can play the three and the four. He will be <span>Kipper Nichols</span> understudy this season. </p>
<p id="LWjD3c">He has good handles and can score at all three levels of the court. There’s a comforting smoothness to his game for someone with his size and frame. While smooth, he’s also a bit slow and not a plus-athlete from the limited tape I’ve seen. We should be able to find out a lot about BBV’s potential after a couple games of live action.</p>
<p id="0McfFd">There is certainly plenty of potential given his skill and size, but it’s unclear if the speed of the game and talent jump is going to give him fits in the early stages of his college career. If the Illini weren’t so thin at his position he would be a good candidate for a redshirt, but since the Illini struggled against bigger teams last year I think BBV will see plenty of playing times. With a frontcourt rotation Kipper, BBV, Giorgi and Cockburn, the Illini will fair much better against some of the bigger and stronger teams on the Big Ten schedule.</p>
<p id="IccwSO">At the end of the year I think you will see BBV check in at around 10 minutes per game, with his minutes getting cut when Underwood has to shrink the rotation. Don’t expect anything too impressive on the stat line, but there will be multiple flash-in-the-plan moments this year that will have you raise your eyebrows and say, “Now what do we have here?”</p>
<h2 id="bsPqH3"><strong>Jermaine Hamlin</strong></h2>
<p id="dyoUaO">The Illini needed to address front court depth after the departures of <span>Greg Eboigbodin</span> and <span>Samba Kane</span> in each of the last two seasons. They did that by signing two centers in the 2019 class. In addition to Cockburn, Jermaine Hamlin will also be providing some added size to the roster. Hamlin is 6-foot-10 and 235 pounds from Lincoln, Illinois. </p>
<p id="I0fJvQ">Hamlin was a late addition without much Power Five interest who many thought would end up taking the prep school route. But after the Illini had some other options slip through the cracks, they made an offer to the local big man.</p>
<p id="OKc0Ga">In a perfect world, Jermaine Hamlin would redshirt. Ideally, Bezhanishvili and Cockburn could hold down the center position for 2019-20, and then Hamlin could enter the rotation next year. This would also help provide some class balance by splitting up Cockburn and Hamlin. Unfortunately, we saw how foul prone Giorgi was as a freshman, and I expect to see a similar phenomenon with Cockburn.</p>
<p id="BEPpyL">Hamlin also needs to spend some time with Fletch, but for different reasons. Hamlin could use to add some weight and strength in order to be ready for life on the block in the Big Ten. He’s got raw athleticism but still needs time to refine his skill set in order to make an impact.</p>
<p id="kvkS9A">However, if there’s an injury or foul trouble, Hamlin will be forced into duty. Hopefully, his freshman season is full of spot minutes where he can cause havoc for a few possessions at a time with his shot blocking and athleticism.</p>
<p id="c4eRZx">You should hope to not see a ton of Hamlin this year. If we do, it means something has gone very wrong. Look out for the random one half of a game this season that he takes over and pushes the team over the edge to get the win.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2019/9/30/20890598/illinois-basketball-2019-2020-roster-preview-the-freshmen-kofi-cockburn-benjamin-bosmans-verdonkMatt ONeall