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Illinois basketball: 3 starting lineup options for 2020-2021 season

By Mike Phillips

CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Illinois basketball is coming off its best season in years, but how could defections to the NBA and transfers affect Brad Underwood’s starting lineup options for the 2020-2021 season?

It had been a while since Illinois basketball had a good team. After a decade of floundering in the Big Ten, the Fighting Illini finally put together a NCAA Tournament squad before the season’s abrupt end.

Led by the 1-2 punch of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, Illinois basketball finished the regular season in fourth place in the Big Ten, earning a double-bye in the conference tournament. Illinois never got a chance to test themselves in postseason play once the rest of the year was canceled, but they should be set up well for 2020.

Only a handful of seniors graduated while the Illini lose talented guard Alan Griffin, who is transferring to Syracuse. The other big question surrounding the Illinois roster is the future of Dosunmu, who is a legitimate NBA prospect.

The prevailing wisdom entering the season was that Dosunmu would bolt for the draft, but the uncertainty surrounding pre-draft events has made it more feasible for Dosunmu to return to school. The difference in Illinois’ upside is huge if Dosunmu is back as opposed to in the NBA, so his decision affects a lot of potential outcomes for the Illini.

Let’s take a look at a few potential lineup options for Illinois, beginning with a best-case scenario.