Coming off their first Elite 8 appearance since 2005, Illinois basketball loses a lot, but still threatens to be a top team in college basketball.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Illinois basketball.
Last season was one to remember for younger Illinois fans, winning 29 games, most under Brad Underwood. Not only that, but they would go all the way to the Elite 8 before losing to the eventual champions in UConn. This was their first Elite Eight appearance since making the national championship game in 2005, so the energy is high in Champaign.
However, if they want to repeat that success, they’ll have to do it with a nearly new team. They lose TEN players from last year’s roster, which includes eight of the nine leading scorers from last season. After Ty Rodgers, who was 5th in scoring at 6.2 PPG, the next highest for a returning player is Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn who averaged just 2.4 a game.
With the departure of so many talented players comes a new roster loaded with potential. Starting with the transfers, they bring in several former highly touted recruits hoping to finally burst onto the scene starting with Kylan Boswell. On this roster alone, the high school player rankings include:
- #20 (Riley)
- #25 (Boswell)
- #31 (Johnson)
- #35 (White)
- #36 (Jakucionis)
- #51 (Ivisic)
- #55 (Booth)
- #55 (Rodgers)
In college basketball these days, you won’t find many teams with 8 top 55 players in their class, making this roster intriguing.
It was just mentioned, but this freshman class is super exciting. Will Riley is the highest-rated recruit in program history, according to 247Sports. Morez Johnson is the second highest, behind Riley. The highest before them was Ayo Dosunmu, and we all know how that turned out.
With all the young talent means a young roster. This team only has one senior on the roster, Humrichous, something we don’t usually see in the age of 5th-year seniors and older rosters. This might mean a slow start for the Illini, but as the underclassmen get up to speed, this team’s ceiling could be one of the highest in the Big Ten.
They’ve got several intriguing games in the non-conference slate, starting with Alabama. The one to circle though is the February 22nd matchup against Duke, which given the time of the year should have serious tournament implications. Will they hit 29 wins again? Most likely not, but as the season progresses, this team will get more and more dangerous.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Brad Underwood (8th season at Illinois, 12th season overall)
2023-24 record: 29-9 (14-6)
2024 postseason finish: NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Exit
Notable departures:
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (23.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG)
- Marcus Domask (15,9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.9 APG)
- Coleman Hawkins (12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG)
- Quincy Guerrier (9.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG)
- Dain Dainja (6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.2 APG)
- Luke Goode (5.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.6 APG)
- Justin Harmon (5.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.1 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Alabama (Nov. 20)
- vs. Arkansas (Nov. 28)
- vs. Missouri (Dec. 22)
- vs. Duke (Feb. 22)
Projected Rotation
PG: Kylan Boswell (6-2, 200, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 9.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 37.9 3P% (Arizona)
SG: Kasparas Jakucionis (6-6, 200, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #36 ranked recruit
SF: Ty Rodgers (6-6, 210, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 52.7 FG%
PF: Ben Humrichous (6-9, 220, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 41.4 3P% (Evansville)
C: Carey Booth (6-10, 203, So.)
2023-24 stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, 63.4 FT% (Notre Dame)
6: Will Riley (6-8, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #20 ranked recruit
7: Tre White (6-7, 205, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 12.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.3 APG (Louisville)
8: Morez Johnson (6-9, 225, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #31 ranked recruit
9: Jake Davis (6-6, 210, So.)
2023-24 stats: 9.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 38.9 3P% (Mercer)
10: Tomislav Ivisic (7-1, 230, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #51 ranked recruit
Illinois Basketball Team MVP: Kylan Boswell
Coming into last season, some saw Boswell as one of the potential top guards in college basketball, and they were reassured that after big games against Duke and Alabama in the non-conference slate. However, the hype died down after mediocre conference play and poor tournament play, when he scored just 5 points on 1-9 shooting in their final two games of the season.
The flashes were there, and we’ve seen Underwood turn his guards into stars with Dosunmu, Shannon, and Domask. Boswell is extremely quick, making him valuable on both ends of the floor, and while he’s not a consistent three-point threat, he can hit multiple in a game if he’s left open. The best part about Boswell is he’s from Champaign, Illinois, meaning these games will mean even more to him as the hometown kid.
They don’t need him to put up Shannon numbers, but if he can average closer to what we saw from Domask (15.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.9 APG), then Boswell will make an all-Big Ten team and raise Illinois basketball’s ceiling significantly.
Illinois Basketball make-or-break player: Will Riley
As mentioned earlier, Riley is the highest-rated recruit in program history, and they’ll expect him to play like one. At 6-8, he has guard skills and is a really talented scorer from all three levels. He disrupts the passing lanes and possesses a lot of confidence. With every forward besides Rodgers gone from last year’s team, he can quickly find himself playing big minutes for this team.
The biggest concern is his frame. He sits at just 180 pounds, and the fear of him being outmuscled could be a problem and could lead to early foul trouble. He will definitely have to add muscle to his frame to not only be an asset to this team but also improve his draft stock, which is the ultimate goal.
Key analytic: Offensive efficiency
Last season, Illinois ranked 3rd in Kenpom’s offensive efficiency rating. The only teams ahead of them were UConn (National Champions) and Alabama (Final 4 appearance). Purdue, who finished one spot behind them, made the national championship game. So, a good offense means a good season, and Illinois will need to get back to this level this year. They don’t have to be top 3, but if they can finish top 30, which they have done every time they’ve won a game in the tournament, then expect the same results from this year’s team.
Illinois Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 7th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Exit