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Illinois Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Fighting Illini

By Austin Walther

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 19: Illinois Men's Basketball Head Coach Brad Underwood speaks at the 2017 Big Ten Basketball Media Day at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 19: Illinois Men's Basketball Head Coach Brad Underwood speaks at the 2017 Big Ten Basketball Media Day at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 20: Da’Monte Williams #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 20: Da’Monte Williams #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Key Reserves for the Illini this Season

G, 6’3, 190, Sophomore, Da’Monte Williams

Da’Monte Williams is the next leading scorer remaining from last season. He scored 3.5 points per game while grabbing 2.9 rebounds per game with 1.1 assists. Williams was a three-star recruit last season according to 24/7 Sports. He was ranked 177 nationally and played in just about every game including three starts. Williams also has a legacy to maintain, he is the son of an all-time great point guard for Illinois, Frank Williams.

G, 6’7, 200, Freshman, Tevian Jones

Tevian Jones is the Illini’s second four-star recruit for this season. He is ranked 119th in the country and 27th at the small forward position. Jones is your typical wing player. He’s able to shoot from anywhere on the court, can beat you off the dribble and should develop into a solid defender. Underwood is very excited for him and has been tracking him all year long until they reached the agreement for him to come to Illinois.

G, 6’2, 185, Junior, Andres Feliz

Andres Feliz is a transfer from Northwest Florida State Junior College. He was an All-American at the NJCAA Division I level. Feliz averaged just over 20 points per game, 6.1 assists and 2.1 steals. He is the top-ranked point guard and No. 12 ranked player according to JuccoRecruiting.com. Underwood is excited to bring him in because of his experience winning state titles for NW Florida State. He will also be an older presence on an Illini bench that could end up being really young.

G, 6’5, 180, Freshman, Alan Griffin

Alan Griffin is the third-ranked recruit that Underwood is bringing in this season. He’s a three-star, ranked 185 overall and 41 at the position. Griffin is from White Plains, New York. He averaged 19.2 points per game, 9.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists during his senior year. Griffin will be one of three freshmen who will be coming off the bench for Illinois this year. It’ll be important to make an impact right away.

C, 7’0, 220, Freshman, Samba Kane

Samba Kane is a big three-star recruit for the Illini this season. He is ranked 281 overall and 41 at the position. Underwood has been watching this guy closely during his entire evaluation also. He’s been impressed with his improvement during the entire time and has made big strides in his offensive game. Kane seems to be your typical big man. He averaged 9.1 points per game, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. The lack of a true big man to swat basketballs was a big reason why the defense struggled so much. Kane is in one of the easiest positions among all the freshmen because of how shallow the frontcourt is on the roster.

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