Similar to Wisconsin losing star Johnny Davis and Iowa losing American Keegan Murray, Illinois lost star center Kofi Cockburn, who declared the NBA draft for the third and final time, losing his remaining college fitness.
Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams and Alfonso Plummer at graduation joined Cockburn from the Illini; Austin Hutcherson in the pro ranks; and guard Brandin Podziemski (UC Santa Clara), guard Andre Curbelo (St. John’s), center Omar Payne (Jacksonville), forward Jacob Grandison (Duke) and center Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (South Carolina) at transfer portal.
Losing so many key pieces from two Big Ten league teams, Brad Underwood and Co. hit a tipping point and had to make an almost wholesale roster change with the only significant returns being Luke Goode and RJ Melendez and the youngster Coleman Hawkins on the Rise. The coaching staff responded emphatically, bringing a top-10 recruiting class to accompany a senior transfer class to usher in a new style of Illini basketball with new faces and skill sets that should keep Illinois in the game. heart of the action in 2022-2023.
Off-season activity under consideration
Illini High School signers include five-star rookie Skyy Clark (#30), Jayden Epps (#67), Ty Rodgers (#48) and Sincere Harris (#106), and French center Zacharie Perrin, who ranked in the top 10 in the country. The transfer class for Illinois included transfers from Baylor Dain Danja and Matthew Mayer and the transfer of Texas Tech/Chicago native Terrence Shannon Jr., finishing as No. 1. 2, for 247 Sports.
The coaching staff have clearly defined their priorities with this recruiting class: to become faster, longer, more athletic and more versatile in all positions. Illinois faced challenges against a longtime Houston sports team in the NCAA Tournament, often playing with a trio of small guards Frazier, Plummer and Curbelo, as well as the limited mobility of Kofi Cockburn. With this new frontcourt from Perrin, Hawkins, Mayer and Danja, the Illini have a new infusion of mobility, touch, direction and shooting that hasn’t been there in years past. Incoming wings Rodgers and Shannon really beef up Illinois’ defensive ceiling, while guards Harris, Epps and Clark bring offensive punch with increased length, scoring instinct and driving ability to power the offense of Ilini.
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That says a lot about Brad Underwood’s level of confidence in this trio of young guards, as he hasn’t come out to secure a proven transfer to the position.
So what does all this mean?
While we don’t know if Illinois really “won” the offseason until the end of the season, the Illinis did accomplish many of the priorities they set out to do. The Illini will be fast and athletic at both ends of the pitch with more distribution and ball handling skills, which should create more drive paths and ball movement to facilitate attacking, no longer focusing solely on Kofi Cockburn’s internal dominance and surrounding three-point shot.
Given the significant youth, there will likely be bumps in the road as the scorching days of a grueling Big Ten schedule can wear down young players trying to find their footing at this level. However, this roster looks less like a traditional Big Ten roster and more like the new age positionless basketball that has taken the college and professional ranks by storm in recent years.
That should position them well to take advantage of the defensive limitations of Big Ten big men Trayce Jackson-Davis, Hunter Dickinson and Zach Edey and effectively counter versatile and energetic defensive teams like Houston.
With good development of young guards, coupled with the stable presence of veterans Mayer and Shannon, Illinois is poised to return to the top of the standings.
