Illinois Basketball: Preview of Illini depth chart for 2020-21 season

No. 2 Guard

Starter – Adam Miller (Fr.): 25 minutes

Miller, the highest-rated recruit in the 2020 class for the Illini, should start the season as one of four guards in the Illinois lineup. A former teammate of Ayo Dosunmu in high school, Miller brings a high level of athleticism and shooting to this Illini roster. Even though his minutes prediction may seem high for a freshman, if Miller plays up to his potential he could possibly be the second-best player on the team by season’s end. Now that is saying something.

Expect Miller to not only battle for minutes but also look for his shot and run the offense in times where Dosunmu is off the court or locked down. This addition will give Illinois another go-to-guy in high leverage situations alongside the already proven Dosunmu.

Backup – Austin Hutcherson (R-Jr.): 20 minutes

One of the more interesting pieces of the puzzle for the Illini this season will be the aforementioned Hutcherson. Before sitting out a year due to transfer rules, Hutcherson averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in his sophomore year at Wesleyan. Considered by many peers as a highly exceptional athlete with a knack for scoring at will, the D-III transfer could end up in the starting lineup by the time the season is over.

Obviously the biggest question though is the transition from D-III to D-I, and until we see for ourselves the results, it could be hard to estimate what kind of impact Hutcherson could have on the Illini this year. I believe that he could become a lethal weapon off the bench with his extreme athleticism and long-range shooting ability being key factors in his game.