Illinois Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Fighting Illini
Illinois basketball was a top-five team last year in the Big Ten. They are a threat to do more damage in 2020-21.
Illinois basketball is rising up the ranks of the Big Ten after having a solid 2019-20 season and with their star players back, other teams need to watch out for them. They finished last season with a 21-10 (13-7 Big Ten) record and ranked 21st in the final AP Poll.
Brad Underwood has done a remarkable job with this team after struggling the previous two seasons before last year to have a winning record. When you look at the success the team had last year, it all starts with Ayo Dosunmu (16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) and Kofi Cockburn (13.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg) who declared for the NBA Draft but opted to come back to Champaign. Dosunmu led the team in points and assists and Cockburn led in the rebounding and blocks categories.
The Fighting Illini had key wins against the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines, a seven-game winning streak that included the Purdue Boilermakers twice, Wisconsin Badgers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan on the road, and Minnesota Golden Gophers. They had key wins later in the season against No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes.
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In addition to Cockburn and Dosunmu coming back, Austin Hutcherson and Jacob Grandison are eligible to play which gives them more experience. The Fighting Illini secured the 17th best 2020 class nationally and third-best Big Ten class with the additions of Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins, and Brandon Lieb.
Fighting Illini fans should also be excited about what Trent Frazier and Giorgi Bezhanishvili will give the team this year. These two bring production and energy of their own. This is going to be a fun team to watch and there will be a new leader in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini has the team to take the crown.