Illinois Basketball finished fifth in the Big Ten last season with an 11-9 conference record. While the Fighting Illini were unable to crack the top 100 for points in the nation, it was their ability to protect the rim with over five blocks per game that carried them into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed. Terrance Shannon Jr. would lead Head Coach Brad Underwood’s squad with 20 points in their 73-63 first-round loss to Arkansas.
For the second straight year, there are substantial changes with the roster at Champagne, as Jayden Epps, R.J Melendez, and Skyy Clark transferred and Matthew Mayer graduated. To offset the departures the Fighting Illini have Justin Harmon, Marcus Domask, and Quincy Guerrier joining the Orange and Blue along with the No. 57 ranked freshman Amani Hansberry in what will surely be appreciated by the Orange Krush student section at State Farm Center.
Last season Coach Underwood had ten players that averaged double-digit minutes and with just four of those players departing, Coach Underwood has a solid base to build freshmen and transfers around. The combination of returning players and experienced transfers has Illinois placed in a five or six-seed in early bracketology.
The projected five seed is an indication that the Fighting Illini are an improved team from last year, as Domask and Guerrier are going to be upgrades from last year’s starters. If Coach Underwood has the bodies he will get the most out of them, as even making the tournament in 2023 was an accomplishment as the Fighting Illini returned just 14 percent of their scoring. In contrast, this season, Coach Underwood will have three of his top four scorers returning. With 2022-23 in the review mirror, let us look ahead to the 2023-24 depth chart of the Illinois Men’s Basketball team.
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.
Shooting guard: Marcus Domask and Justin Harmon
Marcus Domask: 16.7 ppg / 5.8 rpg / 35.4 mpg
The 2023-24 season will be a little more challenging in the Big Ten than what the 6 foot 6 guard experienced in the Missouri Valley Conference the past four years playing for Southern Illinois. At 215 pounds Marcus Domask was truly an ‘inside and outside guy’ with Southern Illinois. He had no problem posting up smaller guards in the paint, which was demonstrated by the six made three-pointers versus Illinois State and Northern Iowa.
He remains a threat to get hot from deep, despite connecting on just 35 percent from beyond the arc for the season. With the move to Illinois, the three-time All-MVC member will no longer be attempting almost 13 field goals as he did with the Salukis, but his No. 1 option mentality will benefit him and the Fighting Illini as he cuts to the open spots on the floor and sets up teammates.
Justin Harmon: 14 ppg /2.9 apg / 28.4 mpg
Harmon is a 6 foot 4 transfer from Utah Valley where he tallied up the fifth most points in the Western Athletic Conference last season. One should not be surprised if the fifth-year senior spends some time as the primary ball handler for Coach Underwood on occasion, as his experience will be an asset that Gibbs- Lawhorn does not have. A major factor in his scoring prowess is that Harmon attempted over eleven field goals per game, a lot of which originated by having the ability to take his defender off the dribble from the perimeter.
Although clearly talented enough to play in a high-major conference, Harmon will settle into a backup role. During the three-game tour in Spain, Harmon averaged fewer than 19 minutes, while averaging ten points on nine shots per game. indicating that he will provide valuable minutes off the bench and outproduce outgoing transfers MJ Melendez and Jayden Epps.
Small forward: Quincy Guerrier and Ty Rodgers
Quincy Guerrier: 9 ppg / 4.6 rpg / 25.6 rpg
After two seasons and Syracuse and two playing in Oregon, the one-time All-ACC Third Team member will spend his fifth year bringing even more experience to Coach Underwood’s backcourt. Listed at 6 foot 8 and 220 pounds the Montreal native is two sides of a coin. On one side, he uses his size and strength to get to the basket. Whether it be with the shot fake from the arc and attacking the basket and actively looking for contact, or to post up a smaller defender for a right-handed floating hook.
On the other side of the coin, he averaged four attempted shots from beyond the arc last season and connected on three or more in six games, with his season-high being six made three-pointers in a victory over Villanova. Guerrier will have even more opportunity to spot up on the right side and wait for a Terrence Shannon kick out off the dribble drive. Despite his 13 total points during the Spain tour and his 1 for 5 from beyond the arc, Guerrier will be the season-opening starter.
Ty Rodgers: 3.3 ppg / 4 rpg / 17.4 mpg
As a freshman the 6 foot 6 Rodgers spent the season backing up Matthew Mayer at small forward. However, the only thing that says ‘small forward’ about the sophomore is the name of the position, and the only thing that says ‘backup’ is the fact that Guerrier and Domask transferred to Illinois. Coach Underwood will be utilizing a three-guard front and Rodgers will be an important aspect of it. Rodgers started two of the games on the Spain tour averaging 19 minutes.
Both his starts were alongside Shannon, and interestingly, versus the Madrid All-Stars, Rodgers was one of the four guards who started. Rodgers has the ability to play small forward and shooting guard, all while handling the ball with Shannon on the court as well. His versatility will ensure the playing minutes and the talent of the 2022 No. 57 freshman will ensure production.
Power forward: Coleman Hawkins, Luke Goode and Amani Hansberry
Cole Hawkins: 9.9 ppg / 6.3 rpg / 32.5 mpg
Is it a stretch to label the 6-foot-10 forward a “stretch forward” in his senior year? Hawkins was successful on just 28 percent of the four attempts per game from beyond the arc last season. His season high was six made three-pointers versus Wisconsin and five versus Eastern Illinois, both in victories. Early indication is that Coach Underwood will not be attempting to reign in Hawkins’ attempts this season. During the three games in Spain, the senior made four of his twelve attempts, as his six attempts versus the Catalonia All-Stars was a team-high.
Hawkins also brings a ton of effort and is able to guard centers on the perimeter when on the court with Dain Dainja, but when occupying the paint by himself he does need help in the form of a double team versus wide centers. In the same fashion that Coach Underwood will utilize the versatile aforementioned players, Hawkins will not only be getting playing time at forward but at center as well, such as he did versus Madrid All-Stars starting alongside four guards.
Luke Goode: 4 ppg / 13.9 mpg
The 6 foot 7 junior appeared in just 10 games last season after making his season debut in February. He had a season-high ten points versus Purdue as he connected on both attempts from beyond the arc. At 6 foot 7, Goode will be part of the small forward rotation as well, as he demonstrated range in high school. While in Spain he started two of the three games and averaged seven points in over 18 minutes per game.
Amani Hansberry
Anybody who has visited Amani Hansberry’s videos on YouTube is aware that the 6 foot 8, 225 pound forward will be putting the power back into power forward as his teammates attempt to keep the stretch. The MaxPreps Maryland High School Player of the Year averaged 17.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists and his better than 63 percent field goal percentage is a result of getting into the paint and finishing. His performance in Spain demonstrates that he will be challenging for playing time as he averaged over 11 points and over 15 minutes.
Center: Dain Dainja, Cole Hawkins, Amani Hansberry
Dain Dainja: 9.5 ppg / 5.5 rpg / 20.5 mpg
The fact that Coleman Hawkins and Amani Hansberry have already been discussed, yet they also make the heading when it comes to the center position is an indication of just how fluid the position is going to be. It will not be difficult to find any amount of individuals who are willing to state that the 6 foot 9 junior will not be the starting center for Coach Underwood. That speculation was only supported by the Fighting Illini’s trip to Spain where Dainja started just one game and averaged a little over 15 minutes, right in line with Hansberry.
At 270 pounds, Dainja did not waste time once he got the ball in the post and muscled his way to the second-best field goal percentage in the Big Ten last season. Dainja, however, is not limited to just posting up, as Coach Underwood would put Dainja in the high post and run the offense through him. Whether he was setting a ball screen above the arc for the eventual roll or taking taller defenders off the dribble, Dainja has the skills to keep the starting job for the Illini.
Coach Underwood will be able to play the matchups and create mismatches in his favor by interchanging Dainja, Hawkins and Hansberry to his liking among the four and five spots on the floor, perhaps making Coach Underwood the most important member of the Fighting Illini.