Illinois Basketball: Projected depth chart /rotation for 2023-24 season
Point Guard: Terrence Shannon, Sencire Harris and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn
Terrence Shannon: 17.2 ppg / 2.8 apg / 32.1 mpg
Not only is Terrence Shannon the clear-cut starting point guard for Coach Underwood, he is the clear-cut best scorer and leader on the Fighting Illini. Shannon’s stats look to increase this season as he will get a couple of the almost ten shots Matthew Mayer attempted, but he will have additional targets at his disposal to pass to. The All-Big Ten First Team member may have connected on just 32 percent of his six attempted three-pointers per game, but he also attempted the second most free-throws in the Big Ten. The 6 foot 6 guard will continue to use his size to get to the basket and get to the free-throw line.
Sincere Harris: 3.7 ppg / 14.5 mpg
As the No. 88 ranked freshman, Sencire Harris started seven of the 33 games he participated in. The 6 foot 4 guard’s season high in minutes was 24 versus Bethune-Cookman when he also scored a season-high 12 points. Harris’ role will not change much as he will continue to back-up Shannon while making his greatest contribution on the defensive end. Harris’ ability to pick up opposing point guards full court or play close in the halfcourt is where he will continue to earn his minutes.
Defense of the one constant to Harris’ game during Illinois’ 3-game tour of Spain. Harris scored fourteen points versus the Madrid All-Stars in 23 minutes but managed only four points versus the Catalonia All-Stars in 19 minutes. The most telling game was the one he played 16 minutes as a starter while scoring six points. Not only does this put him firmly behind Shannon, but it may put him closer to our next backcourt member.
Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn
The 6 foot 1 guard demonstrated the various ways to score a basket in high school, which, in turn contributed to him receiving the moniker ‘Ja Morant 2.0’ on Youtube. A more plausible nickname is ‘walking bucket’ for that is what he was in high school. The good news is he has range, and if a player can shoot, they can shoot, they may have less time with a NCAA player closing out on them, but Gibbs-Lawhorn can shoot.
At 6 foot 1, taking his defenders off the dribble to get easy layups and dunks will be more difficult for him in the Big Ten, as will earning playing time in the crowded Fighting Illini backcourt. The freshman averaged 126 minutes in the three-game tour of Spain, just three fewer than Sincere, an indication of how Coach Underwood may plan to sort out his rotation.