In this edition of Big Ten basketball previews, we will examine the Illinois Fighting Illini. They have been one of the best programs in the conference over the past five years and should be a contender yet again this season. With a returning core and a good recruiting and transfer class, don’t be surprised if you see the Illini win the Big Ten.
Big Ten Basketball Preview: Illinois
The Team
Illinois returns most of its starters this season. This includes senior Coleman Hawkins and fifth-year Terrence Shannon Jr. Hawkins and Shannon were two of the Illini’s best players last year and should lead the team again. Shannon was an All-Big Ten selection last year and is on preseason All-American lists this year. Another starter Illinois returns is Dain Dainja. The red-shirt junior was a solid impact player last season and should see an increased role this season.
The only other returners from last year did not start last season. Ty Rodgers should earn a starting role this season after averaging seventeen minutes per game in 2022-23. The final starter will likely be Marcus Domask, who transferred from Southern Illinois. He had a great career with the Salukis, where he was an All-Conference selection three times. Another transfer who will play a big role for Illinois this year is Justin Harmon, a guard from Utah Valley. He will likely be the backup point guard.
Rounding out the bench will be returning guards Sencire Harris and Luke Goode. The big men off the bench will likely be Oregon transfer Quincy Guerrier and highly-touted freshman Amani Hansberry.
Strengths
The greatest strength of Illinois is its experience. Shannon is a fifth-year and Hawkins is a senior. They have both been in the Illinois system and proven they can succeed in Big Ten play. They are an extremely old team with three starters in their fourth or fifth year of college.
Depth will also be a strength. Guerrier was a starter at Oregon and will likely come off the bench. Harmon also started at Utah Valley and will come off the bench. Having starters come off the bench is the kind of depth that most teams cannot replicate.
Weaknesses
The most prominent weakness of Illinois will be its three-point shooting. Of the Illini’s starters, Domask, is the best three-point shooter with a 34% conversion rate last season. Guerrier is also a decent three-point shooter. But there are no players who have established themselves as knockdown shooters.
Another weakness of the team is size. The tallest player on the team is Hawkins, who is six-foot-10. While this is a good size for college basketball, they have nobody of the same height and only have one six-foot-nine player, Dainja. This lack of size will hurt them in the Big Ten, which is a conference driven by frontcourt play.
The Verdict: Don’t Be Surprised if the Illini Win the Big Ten
This team is going to be very good this year. However, they are not a favorite to win the conference like Purdue or Michigan State. Many see Illinois in the next tier of conference dark horses with schools like Maryland and Wisconsin. If everything goes right, we could see Illinois winning a conference championship this March.
