Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2020-21 season

If Kofi Cockburn returns to Illinois, the Fighting Illini will leap into the top five in these rankings. If Ayo Dosunmu returns as well, they will leap all the way to second.

However, with Dosunmu “98 percent or 99 percent” committed to staying in the draft and Cockburn expected to stay in as well, I have to assume neither will be suiting up for Brad Underwood’s squad.

Those only add to the loss Illinois is experiencing this offseason, with Alan Griffin and Tevian Jones opting to transfer (Griffin has already committed to Syracuse) along with Andres Feliz and Kipper Nichols graduating. That’s five of their top seven scorers they’ll have to replace, which is extremely tough to do – and could mean they’re in for another rebuilding year after their fourth-place finish in 2019-20.

It’s not all negative in Champaign, though. Underwood is welcoming in the nation’s No. 15 recruiting class, headlined by top-55 prospects Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo. Both will have significant roles in Illinois’ backcourt right away along with returners Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams.

Those four will be part of this team’s core along with Giorgi Bezhanishvili, who will need to have a breakout season in the frontcourt for the Illini.

This group should still be solid and should compete for an NCAA Tournament bid, but they have a lot they need to replace.