15-ranked recruiting class in the nation for the Class of 2020, per 247Sports and the second-best in the Big Ten. Analysis: Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza headlines an Iowa offense that may just be the best in the entire country. If Illinois can make a leap forward shooting from beyond the arc, Final Four aspirations are certainly not too lofty. Expect this team to attack the offensive glass and continue their dominance on the defensive end where they have finished top 13 nationally in AdjDE each of the past 3 seasons. Kofi followed suit. Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball B/R's 2020-21 Men's All-American Teams Luka Garza, Cade Cunningham and Corey Kispert headline @KerranceJames and @kenyondavid's picks. Home. CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with players in a timeout during a Big Ten Tournament game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 13, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Minnesota did not score a point in the paint for the first 18:59 of the game. Illinois Fighting Illini football, basketball news, recruiting, scores, predictions, previews, analysis and more. If they can find some additional scoring from role players, this team has legitimate Sweet 16 potential. 2021 Recruiting Rankings The Formula where c is a specific team's total number of commits and R n is the 247Sports Composite Rating of … Analysis: It is extremely difficult to separate the top four teams on this list. Carr finished 2nd in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio last season and has proven his ability to elevate the players around him. Illini win 74-69 as Wisconsin's Trice-led rally falls short — Kofi Cockburn scored 19 points and No. Coach Underwood hopes transfers Austin Hutcherson and Jacob Grandison along with a talented trio of freshmen in Andre Curbelo, Adam Miller, and Coleman Hawkins are the answer to the Illini’s shooting woes. Its defensive foul rate went from one of the worst (338th) to one of the best (20th) in the nation. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports SI.com. The Illinois basketball team needs to land a great class in the future. Illinois currently leads 22-2 in points in the paint. Bench Rotation: Joe Toussaint, Connor McCaffery, Patrick McCaffery, Ahron Ulis, Tony Perkins. Illinois 2020 Basketball Prospects. Ht. Bench Rotation: Ty Berry, Robbie Beran, Anthony Gaines, Matt Nicholson, Ryan Greer. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports. Good Morning, Illini Nation: UI finalists for two 2021 recruits. Checking in with 2022 Illini priority Jaden Schutt, Four-star 2022 guard Ramel Lloyd Jr. list Illinois among top eight choices, Big recruiting weekend upon us on June 4th, COMMIT: Illini Land grad transfer DT Roderick Perry, Florida DB Tyler Strain commits to Illinois, Illini land Missouri transfer WR Khmari Thompson, Illinois lands commitment from three-star safety DD Snyder, Three-star safety Joriell Washington commits to Illinois, Illini land versatile Speedster Theodore Lockley, Illinois offers 2022 two-way lineman Patrick Kutas. All forum … Alex Tchikou, a French native and current Arizona prospect, had Illinois in his final nine selections after reclassifying to 2020 recruiting class. If former Ivy League Player of the Year Seth Towns and former Cal forward Justice Sueing can help to solidify the frontcourt, look for the Buckeyes to replicate their success from a season ago that saw them destined for a 4- or 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Illini were playing some of their best basketball and finished off the conference slate by winning 5 of their last 6 games. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. 2020 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. 0. Follow IlliniInquirer.com. On the offensive end, look for Buie to run a steady stream of pick-and-roll action, where he found some success last season. Analysis: The clear priority for Richard Pitino’s Golden Gophers will be finding a replacement for Third Team All-American Daniel Oturu. The Illini … High school players who haven’t previously signed can now send their letters of intent to the schools they wish to … Copy Link. 2020 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. We were landing okay players, but the crews who were coming in weren’t getting the job done. Wisconsin finished the season scorching hot as they rattled off eight straight wins to capture a share of the Big Ten title and a 1-seed in the conference tournament. Rumblings of a potential commitment started on Sunday night when Tipton Edits released that RJ Melendez would announce his commitment on Monday. Illini … Videos, analysis and more on ESPN.com Writing Illini 4 months Illinois Basketball: 2023 PF Owen Freeman receives Illini offer Writing Illini 4 months Illinois Basketball: 2021's RJ Melendez receives offer from Illini The class of 2017, 18 and 19 have all had a hand in getting Illinois back to a top-four program in the Big Ten, see last season. Last year’s success was made possible by a defense that ranked 6th in the county according to KenPom’s AdjDE. Bushnell, Ill. St. … The biggest question for the Scarlet Knights is who will emerge on the offensive end to complement the 1-2 scoring punch of Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. The best Fighting Illini coverage on the web. So, make sure every Illini men’s basketball record book recognizes the 2020-21 team as “co-champions of the Big Ten Conference”. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports SI.com. Fortunately, the injury bug was kind to Wisconsin last season. What he found is an imposing, athletic 6’10” consensus 4-star freshman by the name of Cliff Omoruyi. It's nice to have Illini basketball back on the national stage and all of that. Basketball Recruiting Archives - IlliniPulse The latest information on Illini recruiting … The 2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team will represent the University of Illinois in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was a big reason why the Illini couldn’t get back to the NCAA tournament. How could the 2020 trio make an impact? The 2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team will represent the University of Illinois in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Illini have had an interesting off season so far with players coming and going. By Matthew Stevens. Illini Pulse delivers for every Orange and Blue fan - after all, you are the Illini Pulse. Illinois basketball could be losing talent to the NBA this offseason but has a talented recruiting class coming in. Brandon Lieb, a 7-footer from Deerfield High School verbally committed to Illinois after getting late offers from schools such as the Illini, Oklahoma State and DePaul, Oklahoma and Utah. WCIA -- The final Class of 2020 men's basketball recruiting rankings are out and 247Sports bumped up two Illinois signees. And although the Spartans lose their leader and heartbeat in Cassius Winston and premier defender Xavier Tillman, it is never wise to discount a Tom Izzo coached team. Illinois basketball could be losing talent to the NBA this offseason but has a talented recruiting class coming in. With most of his team returning, one of Coach Pikiell’s biggest tasks in the offseason was to find a replacement for rim protector and glue guy Shaq Carter. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports SI.com Coach Fran McCaffery returns his entire starting lineup along with a healthy Jordan Bohannon and Jack Nunge. How could the 2020 trio make an impact? How could the 2020 trio make an impact? Mix in a few highly-touted freshmen and a few now-eligible transfers and this team is ready to make another run. Ohio State vs Illinois College Basketball Picks, Odds, Predictions 3/6/21. 28/12/2020 6:03 pm. On the shoulders of Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith, Maryland was able to earn a share of the Big Ten title a season ago. Illinois Fighting Illini Offer 2022 Three-Star Shooting Guard AJ Storr The Illini have put out a new offer in the 2022 cycle. Chambers’s assistant coach for the past three seasons, Jim Ferry, will take over as interim coach. Facebook. The mobile lefty decided against entering his name in the NBA Draft and returns as a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. If the Hawkeyes can find a way to improve a transition defense that finished 322nd in the country last season per Synergy, the sky is the limit for this team. A season ago, the Badgers finished 15-1 at home with their lone loss coming in early January at the hands of the Fighting Illini. ...Fighting Illini look to stay hot after winning 10 of their last 11 games. Here is an early look at the top five Illini recruiting targets for 2022. Joe Robbins/Getty Images 5y Find out the latest on your favorite NCAAB teams on CBSSports.com. This is a higher floor, lower ceiling team that should win its fair share of Big Ten games and fight hard to earn a bid to the Big Dance despite the off-court distractions. After withdrawing their names from the NBA Draft this summer, both point guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Kofi Cockburn find themselves atop most preseason award watchlists. The Buckeyes have done a phenomenal job schematically of packing the paint and protecting the rim while daring opponents to fire shots from the perimeter. It will be interesting to see how well the Boilermakers can defend homecourt in a quiet and empty arena this season. Chris Holtmann’s signature defense has finished ranked 19th, 25th, and 15th in KenPom’s AdjDE over the previous three seasons. Transfers Brandon Johnson and Liam Robbins are both available this season and will look to solidify the Gophers’ frontcourt. Look for Omoruyi to make an immediate impact and continue to build upon this team’s defensive dominance. That previous coaching regime is no longer associated with the Illinois program, and now we have a new group of coaches who are competent when it comes to recruiting. Illinois had lost all zest when it came to recruiting with the previous coaching regime. If the Wildcats want to beat a few teams not named Nebraska, they will need to revamp their low-pressure defense and try to leverage their height by attacking the offensive glass. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Illinois Fighting Illini and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. This leaves Archie Miller with an intriguing mix of talent to play around with in his fourth season as head coach. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. It is hard to imagine the offense taking a step backward with Garza on the floor surrounded by high-level shooters like CJ Fredrick and Joe Wieskamp. This scheme is predicated on playing fast, good transition spacing, and firing a ton of threes. If the college basketball season ended today — don’t worry, this isn’t 2020 — Illinois would have already accomplished plenty. Ryan Evan and Kedric Prince talk "No Respect". Mobile big men Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter are matchup nightmares with their ability to step out beyond the 3-point line and knock down shots. Just a month prior to the season tipping off, Pat Chambers has officially stepped down as head coach of the Nittany Lions on the heels of some racially insensitive remarks. Steve Pikiell’s squad fought their way to a 5th place conference finish and what would likely have been an 8- or 9-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois basketball … It remains to be seen if Wisconsin can find continued home court success in a less intimidating and quieter Kohl Center. Today, April 15, marks the opening of the signing period for men’s college basketball recruits. Not only was he a dominant force on the offensive end, but he was also an elite rim protector. Illinois. Led by fourth-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini will play their home games at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. Previous season. After throwing several freshmen from this young core into the fire last year, Northwestern hopes to build on that experience. The class of 2022 should be a group that can continue to make the Illini a top team in the nation. Bench Rotation: Kobe Webster, Yvan Ouedraogo, Thorir Thorbjarnarson, Eduardo Andre, Derrick Walker. 2020-21 Men's Basketball Roster; No. Illinois basketball reeled in some solid recruits in the 2020 recruiting class but none may be bigger than Andre Curbelo and his importance down the … The Illinois guard is the top priority for Underwood and his staff. Analysis: Good luck finding a team Big Ten team that deserves to be more upset about the shortened season than the Terrapins. Illinois 2020 Basketball Commits (4) Illinois 2020 Basketball Commits. A-10. Maryland ranked 346th nationally in bench minutes as Turgeon seldom went deeper than his one-man bench rotation. The 2019-2020 Illini squad has revived something Illinois basketball was missing: hope. Topic starter . Expect an uptick in perimeter passing and screen usage to try to get the ball in those two’s hands. Analysis: With point guard Zavier Simpson’s departure, it will be interesting to see if Coach Juwan Howard makes a fundamental change to his pick-and-roll heavy scheme. Bench Rotation: Izaiah Brockington, Dallion Johnson, DJ Gordon, Caleb Dorsey, Patrick Kelly, Trent Buttrick. Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule 2020-21 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 … Today, April 15, marks the opening of the signing period for men’s college basketball recruits. Fast forward to the present. tatehedge (@tatehedge) Member 7 Posts 6 0 1. F Jairus Hamilton (pending NCAA waiver decision), Bench Rotation: Donta Scott, Chol Marial, Hakim Hart, Aquan Smart, Marcus Dockery, Arnaud Revaz. Bench Rotation: Kyle Young, Justin Ahrens, Musa Jallow, Ibrahima Diallo, Zed Key, Abel Porter. Backup point guard Foster Loyer is the only returning Spartan to shoot over 35% from beyond the arc last season. But to hammer the Wolverines in the process, that brought out Gill's smile and ... read more. With that being said, Coach Izzo has plenty of talent to play around with and mold into what should surely be a Big Ten title contender and NCAA Tournament lock. Wt. Status Not open for further replies. Home Basketball Ayo surprised most folks and decided to return to school … Trayce Jackson-Davis earned All-Freshman and Third Team All-Big Ten honors while turning in an impressive 11 double-double performances. By Joe Henricksen May 26, 2020, 11:25am CDT ACC. Big Ten Coach of the Year Greg Gard returns a starting lineup comprised entirely of seniors, while losing only two contributors in guards Brevin Pritzl and Kobe King. Wisconsin basketball's NCAA Tournament history since 2000. This class is entering their junior year in high school, and that is when recruiting really starts to heat up. — Illini Stats & Notes (@IlliniStats) December 16, 2020 Illini Hope to Find Gem With Late 2021 Commit of DB Kionte Curry. College Basketball Recruiting Illinois Fighting Illini Offer 2020 Three-Star Shooting Guard Ishmael Leggett The Illini have put out a new offer in the 2020 cycle. But where do the Illini stack up amongst a loaded Big Ten in 2020-21? Recruiting. Following the transfer of sharpshooter Alan Griffin, the Illini do not return a single player who shot above the NCAA average of 33.3% from deep last season. It remains to be seen if this 3-guard core can do enough to carry an inexperienced and thin roster through a grueling Big Ten schedule. Recruiting. A global pandemic was the only thing that could stop the Illini from dancing for the first time since 2013. This talent boost should help improve the Cornhuskers’s poor shooting numbers from a season ago, but even a significant step forward shooting the rock might not be enough to get them out of basement of the Big Ten standings. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images), CHAMPAIGN, IL – MARCH 08: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates with fans following the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. This season, Penn State will look to replace the losses of star two-way players Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins. Lieb, the newest signee of the Illini’s 2020 recruiting class wants to get physical and play in the paint. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 7 months since Kofi Cockburn swatted Luka Garza to secure a win over #18 Iowa and a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Orange and Blue News breaks down the top prospects on the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball recruiting board in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 classes, plus a big target in the transfer portal. Michigan State will look to establish an identity early on this season with a roster that is deep and features plenty of size and athleticism. Analysis: A season ago, most bracketologists had projected Indiana on the right side of the bubble despite a 4-8 skid to close out their regular season slate. How could the 2020 trio make an impact? Published on Friday, March 5, 2021. This year’s squad is loaded with plenty of talent across the board to replace the production of the Wesson brothers, Luther Muhammad, and D.J. Illinois Fighting Illini Football: Illini football news, recruiting updates, and the latest rumors... Illinois Fighting Illini News & Rumors. Home. Find what players have committed to your favorite school. The Hoosiers should find themselves comfortably in the middle of the Big Ten pack and the NCAA Tournament conversation. Now, with those two stars off to the NBA, Mark Turgeon will hand the keys to last year’s supporting cast of Ayala, Morsell, and Wiggins. Subject of a lawsuit by former players in 2015, Matt Bollant was fired by Illinois on Tuesday after going 61-94 over five seasons as the women's basketball coach. The Illini commit won one as a sophomore playing alongside Illini star Ayo Dosunmu at Morgan Park. Following the transfer of sharpshooter Alan Griffin, the Illini do not return a single player who shot above the NCAA average of 33.3% from deep last season. There is a handful of players who I think should be top targets for the Illinois basketball team as of today, though. The Illinois men's basketball team has the No. Illinois Fighting Illini news from FanSided Daily, Illinois Basketball: Illini offer four-star guard Tyty Washington, Illinois Basketball: What to expect from Brandon Lieb in year one, Illinois Football: 30 Greatest Players of All-Time, Illinois Football: Top 10 Illini Quarterbacks of All-Time, Illinois Basketball: All-Time Fighting Illini Team Since 2000, Illinois Basketball Recruiting Top 5 Misses of All-Time, Illinois Basketball: Top 10 Games Every Illini Fan Wishes to Attend, Jadeveon Clowney Rumors: Ravens a 'Wild Card' to Sign Free-Agent DE to Contract, Illinois Basketball: Illini focusing on paint depth with offer to Fray Nguimbi, Illinois Basketball: Dalen Davis receives offer from the Illini. Iowa plays an extremely physical brand of basketball and has the offensive firepower to keep themselves in every game. Illini Basketball 2020-2021. Bench Rotation: Tyler Wahl, Johnny Davis, Trevor Anderson, Ben Carlson, Lorne Bowman II. A-Sun. For most casual fans, this style is about as entertaining a brand of basketball as you will find. ... Illini Coaches Hope New 2021 Commit Kalen Villanueva Can Become Unknown Gem LB. Recapping the year in basketball recruiting A look back at the best and biggest of the Class of 2020 in Illinois. I'm not sure if he considers any sort of "balancing" to account for a team with really good PGs/SGs but no wings/centers or something similar? Get the latest news and information for the Illinois Fighting Illini. By Thomas Beindit @tbeindit Dec 28, 2020, 6:13am CST Analysis: On paper, the Badgers make a strong case for why they should top this list. Recruiting. It will be interesting to see how both handle the step up in competition against some of the country’s best bigs. The official 2020-21 Men's Basketball schedule for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini New , 2 comments. ... 2020. Not only that, but they looked poised to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament as well. … Big-12. The Nittany Lions do, however, return a relatively deep and experienced core. Coach Collins has brought in an influx of talented recruits the past few offseasons and he will need those young players to mature quickly for Northwestern to start winning ballgames. One potential weakness to keep an eye on is 3-point shooting. The long-term repercussions of that limited rotation may rear its ugly head this season as Coach Turgeon scrambles to plug in a few new faces. Analysis: No team was a bigger surprise last season than the Scarlet Knights. By Miles Powers-Huang, Staff Writer April 15, 2020 . Feb 27, 2021. 2020 Illinois Basketball Recruiting Profile: Caleb Love The top player in the state of Missouri would be an ideal successor to the current backcourt. Bench Rotation: Khristian Lander, Race Thompson, Armaan Franklin, Jordan Geronimo, Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway. Carton. Home. The Hoosiers have turned in strong defensive numbers each of the past two seasons (25th in 2018-19 and 32nd in 2019-20 in KenPom’s AdjDE), but they will need to step up their pick-and-roll productivity to bolster their AdjOE which finished 65th and 82nd, respectively. Defensive excellence has become the norm in West Lafayette, which has made Mackey Arena a very difficult place to play for road teams. With Oturu’s departure, the spotlight shines even brighter on one of the Big Ten’s best playmakers Marcus Carr. Versatile wing players Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner give him plenty of lineup optionality to either play big or small-ball depending on the matchup. Recruiting. Recruiting . Pitino has failed to finish above .500 in 6 of his 7 seasons at Minnesota and this feels like another one of those teams destined for a bottom-half finish in the Big Ten. Twitter. AAC. The Illinois Fighting Illini are averaging 81 ... Illini are shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc and 68.9 percent from the free throw line. The biggest question mark for Coach Brad Underwood’s squad entering the season is perimeter shooting. This group is led by Underwood. Austin Davis should slide nicely into departing senior Jon Teske’s place as the roller in ball screen sets. G Chaundee Brown (pending NCAA waiver decision), Bench Rotation: Brandon Johns Jr., Hunter Dickinson, Mike Smith, Zeb Jackson, Terrance Williams. And so Illinois’ defensive numbers changed drastically in 2019-2020. A global pandemic was the only thing that could stop the Illini from dancing for the first time since 2013. Illinois basketball could be losing talent to the NBA this offseason but has a talented recruiting class coming in. The Illini got a verbal commitment from 3 … If Michigan State wants to open up driving lanes for slashers like Rocket Watts, Joshua Langford, and Aaron Henry, they will need to prove that they can knock down the three ball. Analysis: With Matt Haarms and Nojel Eastern out the door, Matt Painter will look to run his offense through talented big man Trevion Williams. Analysis: Following last season’s 3-17 Big Ten campaign, it is back to the drawing board for Chris Collins’s Wildcats. Analysis: Expectations are sky high in Champaign as the Fighting Illini return their most talented team since finishing as national runner-up in 2004-05. Name Pos. Basketball Recruiting Last Post RSS. It is about time you start taking Rutgers seriously. After years and years of mediocre play coupled with years and years of recruiting misses, things are starting to look up for the Illini faithful. Currently, Illinois sits with anywhere from 10 to 12 scholarship players and are heavily recruiting some transfers, reclassifications, and even potential returnees. Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Recruiting; 2020 Illinois Basketball Recruiting Profile: Adam Miller . Is Illinois Basketball Still Trying To Recruit A Transfer For The 2020-21 Season? March 6, 2021 @ 7:41pm » Alek Arend The Hawkeyes have finish top 20 in KenPom’s AdjOE each of the last three seasons (including 5th place last year). Analysis: Those of you familiar with Fred Hoiberg’s Iowa State Cyclones teams will remember a space-and-pace offense that earned the nickname “Hoiball”. Led by fourth-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini will play their home games at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. Fast forward to the present. Illinois basketball fans have long awaited a season just like sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu, freshman center Kofi Cockburn and head coach Brad Underwood are currently putting together – A season full of optimism, quality wins and tournament aspirations. Hometown Previous School; 1: Trent Frazier: G: 6-2: 175: Sr. Wellington, Fla. Wellington: 2: Connor Serven: F: 6-9: 215: Fr. Illinois basketball could be losing talent to the NBA this offseason but has a talented recruiting class coming in. Coach Underwood hopes transfers Austin Hutcherson and Jacob Grandison along with a talented trio of freshmen in Andre Curbelo, Adam Miller, and Coleman Hawkins are the answer to the Illini’s shooting woes. So far in the class of 2021, the Fighting Illini have signed four-star shooting guard Luke Goode from … Bench Rotation: Jacob Young, Paul Mulcahy, Cliff Omoruyi, Mawot Mag, Dean Reiber. Surprisingly enough, although they finished dead last in the conference in opponent 3-point percentage a season ago, the Buckeyes turned in strong and consistent defensive numbers. Despite a few key individual losses, this is another solid Purdue team that figures to be very competitive in a stacked Big Ten. Coach Painter’s squad has finished in KenPom’s top 35 for adjusted defensive efficiency (AdjDE) each of the past five seasons. Ayo surprised most folks and decided to return to school for another year. Here are questions they have to answer in 2020. Bench Rotation: Jaden Ivey, Ethan Morton, Emmanuel Dowuona, Brandon Newman, Mason Gillis. High school players who haven’t previously signed can now send their letters of intent to the schools they wish to … College basketball recruiting tracker: Julian Roper, a Class of 2021 guard from Michigan, commits to Northwestern over Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa By Chicago Tribune staff May 04, 2020 … Here is an early look at the top five Illini recruiting targets for 2022. Good Morning, Illini Nation: UI finalists for two 2021 recruits Defensive back Curry commits to Illini from Class of 2021 Catching up with Colin: Bielema reportedly finds second recruiting director This deep and flexible roster should translate to a tournament bid, but the Wolverines will need huge years from both Livers and Wagner if they want to eclipse a few teams at the top of this list. The major question surrounding this Badgers team is their depth. Bench Rotation: Gabe Brown, Malik Hall, Mady Sissoko, Julius Marble, Foster Loyer, AJ Hoggard, Thomas Kithier. The official 2020-21 Men's Basketball Roster for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball. He hopes to build upon a 2019-20 campaign that would have sent the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Yr. The class of 2021 will help sustain this success. Bench Rotation: Andre Curbelo, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Austin Hutcherson, Jacob Grandison, Coleman Hawkins, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. Illini Pulse delivers for every Orange and Blue fan - after all, you are the Illini Pulse. Get the latest news and information for the Illinois Fighting Illini. ... and possibly recruiting class ranking? By Matt ONeall May 17, 2019 Illinois Basketball: Illini land top 100 recruit RJ Melendez The Illinois basketball team added a member to their class of 2021 on Monday night. 4 days ago. CHAMPAIGN — The first domino of the 2020 Illinois basketball recruiting class fell on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Illini women’s basketball program is not one of the better programs at Illinois. © 2019-2020 Illini Pulse - The latest information on Illini recruiting for all fans. The Illini bring back plenty of roster continuity to compliment their two stars with seniors Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams as well as junior Giorgi Bezhanishvili who looks to rebound from a bit of a sophomore slump.