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Illinois Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Fighting Illini

By Lukas Harkins

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 14: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini gives instructions to his team against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the United Center on March 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 14: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini gives instructions to his team against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the United Center on March 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 28: Nichols #2 of the Fighting Illini reacts. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 28: Nichols #2 of the Fighting Illini reacts. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Projected Frontcourt Starters

Kipper Nichols | 6-foot-6 | 220 lbs | Senior

As one of the only seniors on this roster, Kipper Nichols will be one of Illinois’ leaders this season. Even though he is coming off a disappointing campaign in 2018-19, he could be poised for a resurgence this season. Nichols averaged just 5.7 points on 21.9% shooting from deep last season after posting 10.0 points on 37.8% shooting the year prior. He is still a strong perimeter shooter that rebounds at a relatively high rate. His shooting percentages from last season were obviously poor but he should reprise his role as a solid stretch forward this year. If he is unable to find consistency, he will likely be relegated to reserve duty. There are other options for the starting lineup but his experience should pay dividends.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili | 6-foot-9 | 235 lbs | Sophomore

Giorgi Bezhanishvili was a revelation on the offensive end of the floor last season. Despite being just a freshman, the 6-foot-9 big man emerged as one of the best interior scorers in the conference while starting every game for the Fighting Illini. Over the course of the campaign, he managed to average 12.5 points (54.2% FG) and 5.2 rebounds per game. There should no questions regarding his offensive abilities as an elite center. With that said, though, he is not a tremendous rebounder and struggles on the defensive end. This could limit his ceiling as a sophomore but it is possible that Coach Underwood could pair Bezhanishvili with incoming freshman big Kofi Cockburn in the lineup to fix some of their defensive woes. There would be mobility concerns in that frontcourt situation, though.

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