NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

The Illini were a particularly difficult team to oust last season, thanks to the powerful duo of Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu. The pair provided balance on both ends of the court for head coach Brad Underwood’s other pieces to feed off in games. The result was a 24-6 record, a 2nd place finish in the conference, and receiving a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Last year’s feelings of confidence and exceeding expectations aren’t as strong nationally heading into this season. Dosunmu’s entrance into the NBA Draft and subsequent transfer of guard Adam Miller from the program leave some questions to be answered. The consistent presence of high-level playmaker Andre Curbelo and senior guard Trent Frazier still provide muscle for the Illini to claw their way through the Big Ten. Curbelo will need to regularly shoulder more of the offensive load this season to produce 2020-like results.

The hope for Illinois fans this year is that the talented 2021 recruiting class will immediately stamp their presence on the college basketball scene as Curbelo and Miller did. Led by shooting guard Brandin Podziemski, the chances of that happening are quite good. Podziemski is a talented shot-maker and will not necessarily need to rely on players like Curbelo to create open looks. However, the downhill ability of Curbelo to navigate traffic and draw in defenders will only aid in Podziemski’s chances of turning in big shooting performances.

The additions of longer freshman guards, such as RJ Melendez and Luke Goode, also elevate the prospects for this year’s crop of first-year collegians to make an impact in the rotation. Both Melendez and Goode feature the versatility in their skill sets to carve out roles with this team next season, especially in defensive roles with range and speed to clog lanes and disrupt shooters. However, the need for each to do so in their first season isn’t a huge issue with the return of Da’Monte Williams, Austin Hutcherson, Jacob Grandison.

Williams and Grandison were the final pieces of last year’s rotation, both stand to make up a lot of ground in the absence of Dosunmu and Miller from the 2021 team. While Hutcherson rejoins the active roster after sitting out last season, each of these guards will have to deal with the arrival of Utah transfer Alfonso Plummer. Joining the team this offseason, Plummer has consistently shot the ball much better than any of the other three options in his respective college career and could conceivably give Coach Underwood a similar look and production to last season’s team.

Regardless of who can step up and capture the vacant scoring opportunities, this year’s Illinois backcourt remains incredibly talented. How quickly this group can collectively adapt to their new situation will determine their potential ceiling, but they can expect to have a decent floor to content once more.