Last Year: 29-9; 14-6, Second place and Big Ten Conference tournament champions, lost in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (Eighth Year; 143-88 at Illinois, with four NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
G Kylan Boswell – 6’2″, 205 Junior
G Kasparas Jakucionis – 6’6″, 205 Freshman / Consensus Top 50 recruit
W Tre White – 6’7″, 210 Junior
F Ben Humricious – 6’9″, 225 5th-year Senior
C Tomislav Ivišić – 7’1″, 255 Freshman / Top 50 recruit
Experienced Reserves
G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn – 6’1″, 185 Sophomore
G Ty Rodgers – 6’6″, 210 Junior
W Jake Davis – 6’6″, 205 Sophomore
F Carey Booth – 6’10”, 215 Sophomore
Freshmen
W Will Riley – 6’8″, 195 Freshman / 5-star recruit
F Jason Jakstys – 6’10”, 215
F/C Morez Johnson, Jr – 6’9″, 255 / Top 50 recruit
A whole lot has happened since March, and Illinois fans have been kept entertained right the way through.
The Illini were very good last year; they won 29 games. Included in that number were the three games needed to sweep their way to a Big Ten tournament title, as well as three more victories which brought Illinois to the Elite Eight for the first time in almost twenty years.
As soon as that had happened, the Illini lost seven of the top nine players from last year’s rotation, including all-conference newcomer Marcus Domask, two-time All-Big Ten superstar Terrence Shannon, Jr, and fan favorite forward Coleman Hawkins. Head coach Brad Underwood lost one of his top lieutenants, too, when Chester Frazier was hired at West Virginia and took two of the Illinis’ young players with him.
To make up for the losses, Underwood – who has done good work in the portal lately – appears to have outdone himself. With a combined haul of transfers and freshmen – including some exciting arrivals from overseas – the skill is on hand to keep his program in big-time contention. The mix of new faces will give the Illini plenty of different looks, and if they can start pumping on all cylinders, this renovated squad may just have the stuff to keep Illinois in the thick of things for another B1G crown.
To coordinate things, Underwood brought a local son back home. Former Arizona point guard Kylan Boswell is a Champaign, IL, native who has played for Team USA’s U-19 squad and played a key role in the Wildcats reaching the Sweet Sixteen last season. He finished sixth in the Pac-12 Conference in both assists and steals last season, and Boswell ended up top ten with 66 made triples, too.
“We know Kylan well, a local product who we recruited very hard the first time around. He’s young by age, but he’s experienced and mature in terms of games and minutes played as part of Arizona’s great success these last two years, and his best basketball is in front of him,” Underwood declared upon Boswell’s signing. “He’s a great shooter, handles it, and defends. I’m excited about Kylan in our style and system; he will really flourish.”
Though he’s about to embark upon his junior campaign, Boswell is just 19 years old. He enrolled early at Arizona after breaking his foot before the end of his prep career, and he’s hoping to start channeling the experiences he’s accumulated into top-notch play this season. His youth showed at times down the stretch last year, with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd opting to use Jaden Bradley as often or more than Boswell in big moments. It’s not easy running the point in Tucson – ask now-Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa – but Boswell has redoubled his focus on becoming a better and more complete player and person. In a statement he released on social media announcing his transfer, he explained.
“It is important I focus on being the person I was raised to be and become the basketball player I am supposed to be,” Boswell declared. “I know this requires great commitment, discipline and work. Champaign-Urbana has always been part of my success and I will wear Illinois on my chest with pride.”
At his best, Boswell is a composed distributor who can swing momentum with a well-timed triple or jump-start his team’s offense with a quick steal. His reactions are swift at both ends, and Boswell has silky form from the outside. He’s mostly been a spot-up shooter so far, and Underwood will undoubtedly be looking to see Boswell open things up in transition this year. The Illini made open-floor action into a primary weapon last season, and if Boswell can make correct reads and decisions, he can keep things humming. There’s a lot to like about the blend of skills he offers, and if he’s ready to put them all together, Boswell could become one of the Big Ten’s best point guards.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 83.4 – Points Per Game (10th) |
| 8.7 – Turnovers Forced Per Game (358th) |
| 16.9 – Made FT Per Game (21st) |
| 34.1% – Opponent 3FG Percentage (222nd) |
| 46.9% – Team FG Percentage (57th) |
Illinois will be the third stop already for former Southern Cal and Louisville wing Tre White, and the former Top 50 prospect has been impactful at each of his previous stops. A strong transition player whose skills look ready-made for the offense Underwood wants to run, White feels as though he may have found the right home for his skillset this time.
“Going into the portal, the way I was thinking, I want to make this my last stop and make this my best fit,” White told Scott Richey for the Champaign News-Gazette this summer. “Be a winner. Be a part of that culture. I feel like everything here about Champaign kind of fits.” Reports have described how a certain former Illinois player who was at Louisville during White’s time there may have influenced White to consider the Illini. However it all came together, White has been about nothing but winning since arriving in Champaign-Urbana, which is exactly what Underwood’s staff wants to see. His physical attributes are clearly projectable, as White is big, busts it from end to end, and can make an impact on the game offensively or defensively. He’s adept at using a quick dribble to open up space and then slashing to the bucket, and White made a great variety of hanging or running shots around the paint last season. His three-ball has lagged behind the rest of White’s development, and he’s made less than 30% of his shots from distance in each of his first two campaigns. If he can get his outside figured out, White will be able to play a fairly complete game and provide a true play-finishing option on the wing.
Back after starting every game for the 29-win Illini last winter, Ty Rodgers is a rather unique player who doesn’t fit well in any archetypal box, but who offers a tremendous amount of versatility. At 6’6″, Rodgers is one of the team’s primary facilitators, a Swiss Army Knife defensively, and despite playing plenty of minutes on the perimeter, Rodgers has attempted precisely one three-point shot through two seasons. A former 4-star recruit, Rodgers doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands in order to make winning plays, and when he does have the rock, he’s often looking to set up someone else. Underwood trusts him to make good decisions, and Rodgers uses his higher vantage point to manufacture looks for others in transition and the halfcourt.
In order to fully grow his role, Rodgers has been putting in work on his jumper this summer, and is hoping to catch some defenses off guard with a few new wrinkles this fall. With his physical style and strong mix of lateral quickness, long arms, and ability to get off the floor powerfully in tight spaces, Rodgers is an asset defensively and on the boards. His penchant for converting near the rim helps, and Rodgers came through with 18 putback tries last winter, per Hoop-Math. With just a bit more shooting range, Rodgers can become a true do-it-all guy.
Youth is going to be served all over the floor on this team, and Underwood’s staff have been working diligently this summer to get all of the different newcomers onto the same page. Three of the incoming rookies are already being talked about as potential first-round NBA Draft picks, and Underwood wants to utilize their talents while he’s got them. The growing sense around Champaign-Urbana is that, if the kids are ready to cook, Illinois is going to have a particularly bright forecast once again.
“I think the one thing that happens today is these kids all play high-level games. They play against each other. They know each other. It’s not so much about the talent level being that much different. I think it’s more about the chemistry we must develop as we continue to grow and understanding how to win,” Underwood commented this summer.
The top-rated youngster is Will Riley, a 5-star wing scorer out of Ontario, Canada, and he’s got the sort of size/skill profile which is going to excite both the Orange Krush and NBA executives. Lanky and thin as he is, Riley can get almost anywhere on the floor and will score from all of those places. He isn’t yet a post-up guy, but Riley’s perimeter game is ready to go. He’s got a strong handle, supple athleticism, and great, repeatable form on his jumper.
“He’s a tough shot-maker, at multiple levels, but one who shows signs of real craft when he isn’t settling,” Adam Finkelstein analyzed Riley for 247 Sports. “Whether it’s footwork off the catch or at the tail end of his drives, long strides through the lane, or even his understanding of how to get to the free-throw line, he has very good instincts and just a knack for putting the ball in the basket that is more than the sum of the individual components of his skill-set.”
With the Illini having lost almost 40 points per game solely with the departures of Shannon and Domask, there are going to be opportunities for Riley to step onto the floor and start dropping in buckets. Capable of hitting from downtown or slipping through the lane to rise over defenders and sink easy looks, Riley does his best work when he pushes for looks near the paint and then builds out with his jumper. The threat of his scoring also creates space for his teammates, and Riley is learning to lean into his gifts as a passer. He will have to hold up defensively, but there appear to be many ways already that Riley can fit into the flow of a collegiate offense.
Local product Morez Johnson, Jr, may not be on Riley’s level yet as a slick, refined offensive player, but he definitely knows how to bring the noise. A springy, explosive 6’9″ post player from outside of Chicago, Johnson is fleet in getting from one basket to the other and plays a rough & tumble game. He’s a strong rebounder who plays with terrific effort, and Johnson understands scheme, responsibility and how to be where there’s potential to make an impact play. His first and biggest impact figures to come on the defensive end, where Johnson has both the growing strength and height/reach combo to check bigger players and get up to block their shots. Johnson has also shown the nimble feet and lateral quickness to hang with highly athletic wing forwards, and the hints he’s shown of becoming a full-frontcourt defender are enticing. If he can guard without committing fouls and adds a bit of polish offensively, Johnson is not at all far away from being the type of indispensable youngster who can be the x-factor of a very good team.
“He is extremely talented with great positional size. He is an elite point guard in pick-and-roll and a fabulous passer.”
– Brad Underwood on Kasparas Jakucionis
Part of the scramble to get things sewn up is that the young Illini have not all been fully together for the full offseason. Riley was not on campus until early July, and 7’1″ Croatian import Tomislav Ivišić popped up a couple of weeks later. Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis had been in Champaign-Urbana prior to the other two, but then headed to Finland as a pair of his home country’s U18 national team. For the tournament, Jakucionis averaged 19.4 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, leading Lithuania to a sixth-place finish. Prior to that, Jakucionis had made a big splash at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Germany. He played with FC Barcelona a professional team in Spain, last year, and at each stop, Jakucionis has grown his reputation.
“He is extremely talented with great positional size. He is an elite point guard in pick-and-roll and a fabulous passer,” Underwood raved about Jakucionis thus spring. “He’s also a scorer, so he has versatility at multiple guard spots. Kasparas has tremendous experience; he’s played against top international talent with Lithuania and Barcelona, and at his young age even made a EuroLeague appearance.” Rated a Top 50 recruit in this year’s freshman class, Jakucionis can shoot the ball but does his best work driving into the teeth of a defense and then making things happen. All signs point to Jakucionis taking his turn running the offense when Boswell isn’t – and if reports this summer are to be believed, Jakucionis may become this team’s primary offense-driver quite quickly. If he can effectively use his great size to create offense by putting it on the floor and attracting attention inside, Jakucionis should give the Illini backcourt some of the playmaking wizardry that they enjoyed a year ago.
Assistant coach Orlando Antigua, who’s back in Champaign-Urbana after a few years at Kentucky, showed his familiar quality in helping Illinois to land Ivišić. The brother of former Wildcat Zvonimir Ivišić, who followed John Calipari from Lexington, KY, to Arkansas, Tomislav Ivišić has been rated a high-end 4-star recruit in his own right. His great size is one thing; that Ivišić knows how to use it effectively on the defensive end and also comes with sound shooting mechanics upon arrival sets him apart. He moves rather well for such a big youngster, and Ivišić can defend the post and block shots with a bit of physicality. His quickness in moving his feet and strength will be tested by Big Ten big men, but Ivišić is an athlete in addition to being huge, and will give as good as he gets soon enough. He’s been a genuine threat shooting from 20+ feet in international play, and Ivišić could soon give Illinois a truly versatile post scorer to feature on offense. Coincidently, with the Illini set to play Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City, MO, an Ivišić family reunion is not far off.
A couple of transfer bigs will also have their say in the Illini rotation, as Ben Humrichous and Carey Booth are coming aboard from Evansville and Notre Dame, respectively. Though injuries knocked him down at the end of last season, Humrichous made a fantastic debut at the Division I level. A star at the NAIA level prior to last fall, Humrichous stepped straight into David Ragland’s lineup for the Purple Aces and became one of the Missouri Valley‘s most productive bigs. In the 24 games he played, Humrichous knocked down 53 triples at a 41.4% rate, and he quickly became Evansville’s featured scorer. His jumper is sweet enough to play in any league, but Humrichous will have to bring his hard hat like never before this fall. He could open up as a starter ahead of Ivišić, and the impact Humrichous makes on the glass and in protecting the rim will determine how much he will be on the floor to contribute offensively.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N Alabama – November 20 |
| vs Tennessee – December 14 |
| N Arkansas – November 28 |
| N Missouri – December 22 |
| vs Oakland – November 13 |
As a freshman for the Fighting Irish, Booth made some plays and showed some flashes but was a bit out of his depth on a rebuilding team with precious little past depth around him. He’s set to put in a stronger, more consistent effort after being called out at times by Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsbury during his rookie year. Booth has oodles of skill, fluid form on his jumper, and great positional size. Booth can also get out and go, and has the size plus end-to-end speed that Underwood prefers to have on the floor. He was a 4-star recruit just a year ago, and the Illini coaches believe that they can unlock his vast talents.
It seems as though freshman forward Jason Jakstys may be a redshirt candidate given the talent and depth that’s ahead of him, but a couple of sophomores will vie for minutes off the bench. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who averaged just over seven minutes per game last year, will be one of the team’s primary backup guards this time around. The knocks on Gibbs-Lawhorn coming in last fall were that he wasn’t the purest point guard ever and that he wasn’t that big. Now that he’ll be sharing the floor with either Boswell or Jakucionis almost any time he’s out there, both of those issues should be mitigated. What Gibbs-Lawhorn really can do is score, and he does so creatively and audaciously, which could help to give the Illini a bit of what was lost this offseason. Mercer transfer Jake Davis brings good size and a shooter’s touch to the wing. As a freshman last winter, Davis made 38.7% of his triple tries and hit 60 deep balls on the year. While he won’t play huge minutes, Davis should provide value as a knock-down shooter in reserve.
Since Ken Pomeroy began tracking Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in 1996-97, last year’s Illinois team was the second-highest-rated outfit in Big Ten history. It’s going to be extremely tough to measure up to that group by comparison, but Underwood’s team will have some fun playing their own game this season.
“It’s all about creating advantages offensively. This summer has been about finding who can create advantages the quickest. Whether it’s in an isolation, whether it’s in a post-up, we’re isolating to create, we’re posting to create and to get those rotations and see who our quickest processors are, who’s good at attacking close-outs,” Underwood explained on the radio this summer to ‘The Drive with Tay & Piper’. “That’s the fun thing for me offensively. I think offense is so much about rhythm. It’s art in a way and just making sure it all flows together. We’re putting it together piece by piece.”
Facing a brutal non-league schedule, it won’t be easy for Illinois to put another similarly magnificent team together. Still, it’s possible that this bunch can achieve similar success. Illinois will be younger this year, but exciting nonetheless, and watching the excellent freshmen grow will be part of the fun. With so much to look forward to, the goal of competing for a Big Ten title is as much in this group’s focus as ever.
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