Illinois Basketball: 3 reasons why Illini will win 2021 Big Ten regular-season title
By Jack Bennett
1. Multitude of options
In recent years Illinois has lacked the luxury of having a well-rounded team to compete with any in the country. That will change this coming season though, with Brad Underwood’s squad being possibly the deepest team in the Big Ten.
Of course getting aforementioned stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are a big part of the season, but outside of the two best players on the Illini sit a multitude of options. If you need a shooter one can look to senior guard Trent Frazier or highly touted incoming freshman Adam Miller. Need a defensive stalwart? Choose between Da’Monte Williams and newly eligible sit-out transfers Austin Hutcherson and Jacob Grandison.
Many of these players can fit into many categories when it comes to what role they can play in this coming season. If Dosunmu is struggling or locked down in a critical moment, give the ball to Miller who, as a top-30 recruit coming in, is no stranger to the big moment.
Switch the focus to Hutcherson who is highly regarded by Brad Underwood as the best athlete on the team, and you have a do-it-all high caliber player that could be the dark horse on the depth chart. The roster is so deep that opposing teams will struggle to find solutions for each of the problems that the Illini will present to them this season.
Don’t forget about Cockburn down low either. The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year is an ultimate shot-blocker and relentless rebounder who is almost always the biggest guy on the floor at 7 feet and 290 pounds. If Giorgi Bezhanishvili is able to return to somewhere near the form he had as a freshman, then the 5-spot for the Illini will be in great hands.