Last Year: 20-13; Fifth (11-9) in the Big Ten Conference, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (Seventh Year; 114-79 at Illinois, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Ty Rodgers – 6’6″, 200 – Sophomore |
| SG Terrence Shannon, Jr – 6’6″, 210 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Marcus Domask – 6’6″, 215 Senior (5th) |
| PF Coleman Hawkins – 6’10”, 225 – Senior |
| F/C Dain Dainja – 6’9″, 245 – Junior |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Ty Rodgers: 3.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 apg. 0.7 spg – 51.6% FG
Terrence Shannon: 17.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg – 44.2% FG
Marcus Domask: 16.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.0 spg – 44.7% FG @ Southern Illinois
Coleman Hawkins: 9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.1 spg
Dain Dainja: 9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 0.8 spg – 63.6% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Justin Harmon – 6’4″, 205 – Senior (5th) |
| F Quincy Guerrier – 6’8″, 220 – Senior (5th) |
| G Sencire Harris – 6’4″, 200 – Sophomore |
| F Luke Goode – 6’7″, 200 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Justin Harmon: 14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg – 45.3% FG @ Utah Valley
Quincy Guerrier: 9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.4 bpg – 34.7% 3FG @ Oregon
Sencire Harris: 3.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg – 43.0% FG
Luke Goode: 4.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 0.4 spg – 42.1% 3FG in 10 games played
Freshmen
| F Amani Hansberry – 6’8″, 225 – Freshman – Consensus Top 100 recruit |
| G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn – 6’1″, 185 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
| G Niccoló Moretti – 6’1″, 170 – Redshirt Freshman |
What joy would there even be in life, without the chaos of an Illinois basketball offseason? Another turbulent spring and summer have flowered and withered, giving way to another expectant autumn in Champaign. Players have come and gone, much has been speculated, and in the end, Illinois will have quite a different roster than it ended last season with.
Will the new faces translate into more wins, though?
Prior to head coach Brad Underwood’s arrival, the Illini had been to just three NCAA Tournaments over a span of 13 years. And though it took him a couple of years to get rolling, Underwood has now taken Illinois to the past three Big Dances. He would have gotten a bid during the season which Covid wiped out, as well. All of that means that there are now higher expectations in Champaign. And while Underwood has talked about swinging for the fences in the Transfer Portal and raising the program’s standard yet higher, most of the people around Illinois this fall can’t help feeling like the coach’s big swings this summer turned out to be just warning-track flyouts.
The roster does have quality, and proven players at nearly each position. With the experience, there is versatility, and Underwood is counting on those factors – plus the return of one prime-time scorer and another star who can make just about any play on the court – to help this team to become more than it looks like on paper.
The biggest issues that many observers have pointed to with this Illinois team are the lack of a traditional point guard and, to a lesser extent, lack of a traditional pivot. One thing Underwood’s team has going for it, though, is Coleman Hawkins. A long, athletic, 6’10” multi-tool, Hawkins can do a wider range of things at a high level than almost any other big in the country. It took him a couple of years to fully deliver on his promise, but Hawkins excelled at just about everything for Illinois as a junior. Last season, Hawkins led the team in average minutes, rebounds, and assists while finishing second in steals, and tied for second in blocks & third in made triples. He messed around and had a triple-double against Syracuse last November, and Hawkins might have a few more of them before he’s done. “He would rather make a pass than a shot,” Underwood told reporters after the Syracuse game, speaking of Hawkins. “And yet, he’s a very good shooter. He’s very unselfish that way.”
This year, Hawkins is looking to take the next step as an every-game star and a quality shooter. He launched 132 triples last winter, but made just 28% of them, and Hawkins hit less than 40% of his two-point attempts away from the rim, per Bart Torvik. Once he got in close, though, Hawkins could at times be devastating; he made 77.3% of his shots around the rim, with 22 dunks. His quick feet and easy agility around the cup can allow him to turn slower defenders inside out, and he’s a clever ballhandler who can command the attention of multiple opponents while his teammates work to open up a shot. Hawkins is still getting stronger, and can yet improve as both a rebounder and defender – bad news for people who would like to score around the paint against Illinois. As he’s developed physically, Hawkins has become a keen student of the game whose anticipation and awareness are occasionally well ahead of other players. Though he can still force some plays which go awry, his creativity is worth a couple of miscues. Hawkins has talents which many big guys simply don’t, and could morph into a superstar this winter.
June 1st, 2023, was a good day for Illinois fans. That evening was the deadline for early entrants to the NBA Draft to declare whether or not they would remain in the pool of draftable players. As it turned out, the Illini got both Hawkins and last season’s top scorer, Terrence Shannon, Jr, back before the day was done. After three years at Texas Tech, Shannon went Portaling last spring, and ended up having a breakout season as Underwood’s lead guard. The big, strong perimeter scorer finished seventh in his new conference in scoring average, and Shannon took the second-most trips to the foul stripe in the Big Ten, where he made the second-most freebies in the league at a 79% rate. Back to use his free ‘Covid Year’, Shannon gives Underwood two of the better players in the conference. “He might be a First Team All-American,” Underwood told the Champaign News-Gazette this summer. “He’s what they look like. We need him to be consistent and assertive all the time. Not just in segments of the game. We need him to be a dominant rebounder. We need him to be a dominant defender. I think he’s one of the best two-way guys in the country in terms of offense and defense and everything he can do. All those conversations we’ve had, and he’s very confident and very committed to making sure that happens.”
A 37.1% shooter from the land of trey his final two seasons at Tech, Shannon’s rate dropped to 32.1% on higher volume last year. He’s proven increasingly each year to be a strong defender, and on the other end, Shannon gets his buckets regardless of how many guys are sent to stop him. He’s also a confident ballhandler, and Shannon handed out a career-high 87 setups to his friends last year. His 17.7% assist rate was the team’s highest, and Underwood has talked about utilizing Shannon to not just bring the ball up, but run the show more often this season. Shannon has prepared this summer to be more consistent at a higher level than ever before, and is going to have the ball in his hands morre this season than likely ever before. And he has a recipe to follow from the professional scouts, as he looks to grow his game and lead Illinois higher. “Being that dominant player every game. Nobody can stop me. I can only stop myself,” Shannon said, outlining his focus to the News-Gazette’s Scott Richey during summer workouts. “Just being dominant and consistent every game. Being the same TJ every day.”
Underwood has one of the more interesting pairs of bookend bigs in the country. Whether he’s subbing in for Hawkins or occupying the paint alongside him, Dain Dainja can make a whole bunch of good things happen when he’s out there for Illinois. After first redshirting and then barely seeing the floor as a freshman at Baylor, the Minnesota native headed back North to join Underwood’s group, and begin practicing against former star pivot Kofi Cockburn. The move paid off, as Dainja started 21 games and established himself as one of the program’s top players going forward. While Hawkins is a do-it-all modern big, Dainja is more of a throwback. He uses a wide frame, great reach and physical strength to get the job done; and as a back-to-the-basket big with great touch and nimble feet, Dainja’s potential is immense.
He averaged just 20.5 minutes per game last season, but Dainja managed to score in double digits 12 times, scoring 20+ three times. His 67 offensive boards ranked tenth in the conference, and he swatted shots at the Big Ten’s eighth-best rate. Dainja ended up ranking seventh in the league in player efficiency rating, and his 63.6% mark on 2FG attempts was the second-best. “Talk about a guy who had a really good year: Dain. He was a really, really effective defender,” Underwood told WDWS Newstalk 1400 radio this summer. “Now he’s got experience, now he’s seen double teams, now he’s seen what other big guys are like and what he can get away with and do. It’s the old saying, ‘the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores,’ and Dain is truly that in terms of playing experience and minutes. So I’m excited.” Dainja isn’t the highest of fliers, but he’s outstanding as a screen-and-roll big, and even showed that he can knock down short jumpers last year. He showed good patience at times last year, but needs to keep the ball high and avoid over-dribbling. Dainja’s presence on the glass at both ends is a major asset, and he cashed in 28 putback tries on the offensive end, per Hoop-Math. With a summer spent getting into his best shape yet, the possibility of an even more mobile Dainja this winter is a frustrating prospect for the Illinis’ opponents.
Not only has he played 3,724 career minutes already, Domask is also a 1,615-point career scorer
In this era of increasingly positionless basketball, players like Hawkins are proving that anyone can function as one of their team’s top playmakers. Without a classic guard-type floor general already on hand, Underwood was able to add a variety of players who are comfortable handling, protecting, and distributing the ball. If his hamstring isn’t a problem, newly-arrived Southern Illinois star Marcus Domask should fit that archetype nicely. “There’s a certain way we want to try to play. I think Marcus is a guy that’s got versatility. He was involved in a lot of post-ups (at Southern Illinois). We can put him in that situation. He’s an unbelievable passer, and yet he’s a guy who can really, really shoot it,” Underwood told reporters at a Coaches Vs Cancer event in April. “He averaged 35 minutes a game for four years. You’re talking about a guy who’s played a lot of games. He’s very versatile.” Domask, a Waupon, WI native, is one of the most experienced players in the nation. Not only has he played 3,724 career minutes already, Domask is a 1,615-point career scorer, and the three-time All-Missouri Valley selection has dropped off 245 assists across the past two seasons. Domask started every one of the 106 career games he played in Carbondale, and brings 165 made triples at a 35.9% career rate to Champaign. Domask is a patient, deliberate halfcourt playmaker and scorer who can adjust approaches based upon the defense in order to keep getting clean looks for himself and his teammates. He is adept in isolation, and will post up a variety of defenders, and Domask is confident creating from the top of the key as well.
Utah Valley had a great season last year, and one of the biggest reasons why Mark Madsen’s Wolverines made it to the NIT semifinals was Justin Harmon. The Chicago product took the long way home, proving himself and improving steadily over the course of first two seasons at Barton (KS) Community College, and then two high-impact years in Orem. Harmon is a big, strong combo guard who finished fifth in the Western Athletic Conference in both points and steals last season, and he helped lead a balanced UVU attack at both ends of the court. Harmon is a willing shot-creator for his teammates, but coughed up 158 turnovers, 22 more than the 136 assists he handed out, in his two seasons in the WAC. Underwood will need him to tighten up the giveaways, but Harmon has a lot of other skills which will translate to the Big Ten. He got to the foul line 133 times last year, making 72.9%, upped his confidence from the outside by knocking down 34% on his three’s last season, and has always been adept at putting it on the floor and attacking the lane. Harmon is tough physically and mentally, and has proven that he will take on any type of difficult defensive matchup. “Justin’s just a grinder, man. He’s gritty. He’s tough,” Underwood says of Harmon. “Plays in ball screens, aggressive downhill guy. Can guard anybody on the court, takes a lot of pride in that.” Harmon may come off the bench in his final college season, and if so, he should be an excellent instant-offense option who allows the Illinois opposition no chance to catch its breath when the primary scorers are resting.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| +7.2 – Average Score Margin (41st) |
| .468 – Assists Per FG Made (279th) |
| .439 – Opponent Assists Per FG Made (33rd) |
| 67.9% – Team FT Percentage (309th) |
| 46.7% – Opponent Effective FG Percentage (24th) |
To recap: Hawkins, Shannon, Domask and Harmon are all capable ballhandlers and playmakers. All of them can score from the perimeter or in the lane. There exists a beautiful dream in the hearts and minds of the Orange Krush, wherein a talented young guard is the fifth guy on the floor with those veterans, and in that dream, Illinois is virtually unstoppable. If only those visions would reveal whose face it was on that fifth body. In reality, Underwood has two prospective options at the ‘1’ spot; and each brings their own range of tantalizing skills, despite neither being exactly the player whom convention would demand.
Ty Rodgers is the option that Illinois fans already know, as he averaged 17.4 minutes last season while appearing in every game as a freshman. A highly-rated 4-star recruit just last fall, Rodgers is a strong rangy, youngster who proved to be a terrific rebounder as a freshman, and may evolve into an excellent perimeter defender as soon as this season. Towards the end of last season, Underwood began to see what he could do with the ball in his hands for a few possessions each game, and Rodgers didn’t disappoint. In preparation for this season, Underwood has been running Rodgers at the point since early spring. “I think it makes it a lot easier on me just knowing my teammates trust in me and my teammates have my back. Guys like Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins who came back, they knew what the situation was before they decided to come back,” Rodgers told ‘The Drive with Tay & Piper’, a Champaign-area podcast, this summer. “As I grew up, I always trained to be a point guard. To have those ball handling skills and just being able to pass. I feel like through high school, I played a lot of point guard… I love a challenge. I feel like I can do it.” As a freshman, Rodgers attempted no three point shots, and made just 12 of 31 (38.7%) of his foul shots. As much as Underwood wants to see him emerge as a key setup man, if Rodgers can force defenses to respect his shot outside the lane, it will help to open up the Illinois offense. Rodgers can really get to the basket, though, be it on a straight line drive or using his dribble to pick his way around screens, and has shown that he will create looks for his teammates along the way. Rodgers is already a strong defender, and his ability to guard up or down the lineup will only make it easier to keep him on the floor.
Underwood is simultaneously enamored of Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn’s high skill level and bravado, while realizing that Illinois may need to be patient in allowing the youngster to adapt his natural skills to the team’s needs. “I don’t want to get the cart before the horse, so to speak, with him, but he does not lack confidence,” Underwood remarked on Gibbs-Lawhorn to the News-Gazette during summer practices. “Very, very good shooter. He’s got a great floater. He’s very talkative. He’s not shy and bashful, and he’s not lacking for confidence. That’s something that’s been evident since day one…He asks questions. He wants to know.” What Illinois fans want to know is, ‘how many minutes at a productive level can Gibbs-Lawhorn handle?’ Though he’s not that big, Gibbs-Lawhorn knows make a big impact. The freshman was once committed to conference foe Purdue, but after switching his commitment to Illinois, starred for Overtime Elite last season, averaging 20.4 points, 4.6 boards and 4.4 assists on 39.4% shooting from downtown. Both his first step coming downhill from the arc and his last step off the floor are explosive, and Gibbs-Lawhorn will flush the ball on bigger dudes if they don’t allow his passage. He’s not the purest distributor, but Gibbs-Lawhorn has great vision, a tight handle and the willingness to make correct reads and passes. As he adapts to the veterans around him and proves just how much Underwood can trust him to run the show smoothly, Gibbs-Lawhorn could emerge as one of the team’s most valuable players.
To go along with the contrasting talents of Hawkins and Dainja inside, Underwood is bringing in two more frontcourt options which should add even more quality to the blend. One, Quincy Guerrier, is about to play his fifth collegiate season for his third high major team; the other, Amani Hanserry, is considered as college-ready as any freshman forward in this year’s incoming class.
Guerrier, who spent two years at Syracuse and two at Oregon, has finally chosen Champaign to cap off his run. Underwood has been recruiting Guerrier since nearly the beginning of his tenure at Illinois; the Quebecois forward took his first recruiting visit to Champaign in October of 2018, and his new coach is chuffed to have finally landed Guerrier. “Quincy Guerrier gives us a frontcourt player with tremendous versatility,” Underwood declared when the veteran signed on in Champaign. “He has the size and skill to play anywhere on the front line and is effective at both ends of the court. His ability to play on the perimeter as well as be a high-level rebounder is a great combination to have.” Guerrier has been a solid scorer at each of his stops, and he’s extended the range and consistency on his jumper in each of his four years. knocked down 102 triples across his 71 games as a Duck, at a 33.7% rate. His free throw percentage has fallen each of the past two seasons though, and Underwood will be counting on the veteran to be at his most efficient in order to earn prime minutes this winter.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Marquette – November 14 |
| @ Tennessee – December 9 |
| vs Florida Atlantic – December 5 |
| N – Missouri – December 22 |
| vs Colgate – November 27 |
Hansberry is a highly-developed freshman big who can operate at the 4 spot, or as the post surrounded by four perimeter players. While most young bigs must develop patience and refine their coordination, Hansberry is well along the way, with a great feel in the halfcourt and a soft touch around the basket. He’s mobile, tough, and has terrific feet at both ends of the floor. He’s tough defensively and on the boards, and Hansberry is hard for people to move when he doesn’t want to be moved. Rated a Top 50 prospect by some services, Hansberry isn’t the freakiest athlete in his class, but he’s considered a can’t-miss prospect because he’s already got such polished skills and a deep understanding of how to play the game.
Illinois tried plenty of three’s last year – almost 25 per contest – but their team percentage from downtown was among the 30 worst across the nation. There is hope that young forward Luke Goode will help to change that this year. Though he played in just 10 games last year, Goode has shown that he can knock down deep balls. As a stretch forward who can spread the floor, he will bring value to Underwood’s rotation if he can do enough other things well enough to earn the minutes. Sincere Harris will also be looked to for secondary offense. The Top 100 recruit from last year was solid at both ends of the court as a rookie, and is yet another of Underwood’s guards who stands at least 6’4″. Harris made a perplexing four out of his 20 free throw tries, and will need to be better from the outside with his jumper. He’s got real ability off the bounce, though, and started seven games last year as Underwood tried different guys at the point. He should get some chances to handle the ball again this year and is a strong defender. Harris should only improve by continuing to play with and practice against players like Shannon and Harmon. Niccoló Moretti is joining the race for minutes after redshirting last year. He joined the team in January, and has now gotten a chance to marinate a bit in Underwood’s scheme. The brother of former Texas Tech guard Davide Moretti, Niccoló is an Italian point guard who has played in Australia with the NBA Global Academy. The skinny lefty may not get prime minutes right away, but he can shoot and distribute the ball; skills that will be valuable for this group.
This Illinois team will have similarities, potentially for good and bad, to last year’s group, despite the many changes. There are lots of sources of offense, and this is a group with defensive versatility. If they can shoot and share the ball more cleanly, Illinois could take a step forward.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well. That’s one of the things we looked at and said, ‘Hey, we got to make baskets’,” Underwood has said. “Then, we didn’t – and I use the term elevate – we didn’t elevate each other very well. We were a low assist team. We didn’t have guys deliver balls when guys were coming open off screens. Post entries were a problem. We just didn’t do some of the little things, and we’ve got to work on that.”
After talking often about the potential of last year’s team due to its youth, this is a considerably more experienced team. In fact, it’s the 11th-oldest roster in the country. Underwood is expecting that experience to help sand down the rough edges left over from last year. If it all comes together, Illinois has the steeds to challenge for the top of the Big Ten and mount up for a run in March.
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