THE FIGHTING ILLINI ROSTER . 26 SEASON PREVIEW . 27 #1 TRENT FRAZIER . .28-29 #20 DA’MONTE WILLIAMS . .30-31 #32 TYLER UNDERWOOD . .32-33 #4 ZACH GRIFFITH . .34-35 #15 GIORGI BEZHANISHVILI . .36-37 #11 AYO DOSUNMU . .38-39 #3 JACOB GRANDISON . 40 #22 AUSTIN HUTCHERSON . 41 #21 KOFI COCKBURN . .42-43 #34 JERMAINE HAMLIN . 44 #13 BENJAMIN BOSMANS-VERDONK . 45 #5 ANDRE CURBELO . 46 #33 COLEMAN HAWKINS . 47 #12 BRANDON LIEB . 48 #44 ADAM MILLER . 49 #10 EDGAR PADILLA JR. 50 #2 CONNOR SERVEN . 50 THE FIGHTING ILLINI 2020-21 ILLINOIS ROSTER NUMERICAL No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Hometown High School/Previous School 1 Trent Frazier G 6-2 175 Sr. Wellington, Fla. Wellington 2 Connor Serven F 6-9 215 Fr. Bushnell, Ill. St. Rita 3 Jacob Grandison G/F 6-6 205 r-Jr. Oakland, Calif. Holy Cross 4 Zach Griffith F 6-6 220 Sr. Fisher, Ill. Fisher 5 Andre Curbelo G 6-1 175 Fr. Vega Baja, Puerto Rico Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 10 Edgar Padilla Jr. G 6-1 165 Fr. Carolina, Puerto Rico San Ignacio de Loyola 11 Ayo Dosunmu G 6-5 200 Jr. Chicago, Ill. Morgan Park 12 Brandon Lieb C 7-0 210 Fr. Deerfield, Ill. Deerfield 13 Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk F 6-8 235 r-Fr. Lommel, Belgium KA Pegasus 15 Giorgi Bezhanishvili F 6-9 245 Jr. Rustavi, Georgia The Patrick School (N.J.) 20 Da’Monte Williams G 6-3 215 Sr. Peoria, Ill. Manual 21 Kofi Cockburn C 7-0 285 So. Kingston, Jamaica Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 22 Austin Hutcherson G 6-6 180 r-Jr. New York, N.Y. Wesleyan 32 Tyler Underwood G 6-2 180 Gr. Champaign, Ill. Oklahoma State 33 Coleman Hawkins F 6-10 215 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. Prolific Prep 34 Jermaine Hamlin C 6-10 235 So. Lincoln, Ill. Lincoln 44 Adam Miller G 6-3 180 Fr. Peoria, Ill. Morgan Park ALPHABETICAL No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Hometown High School/Previous School 15 Giorgi Bezhanishvili F 6-9 245 Jr. Rustavi, Georgia The Patrick School (N.J.) 13 Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk F 6-8 235 r-Fr. Lommel, Belgium KA Pegasus 21 Kofi Cockburn C 7-0 285 So. Kingston, Jamaica Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 5 Andre Curbelo G 6-1 175 Fr. Vega Baja, Puerto Rico Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 11 Ayo Dosunmu G 6-5 200 Jr. Chicago, Ill. Morgan Park 1 Trent Frazier G 6-2 175 Sr. Wellington, Fla. Wellington 3 Jacob Grandison G/F 6-6 205 r-Jr. Oakland, Calif. Holy Cross 4 Zach Griffith F 6-6 220 Sr. Fisher, Ill. Fisher 34 Jermaine Hamlin C 6-10 235 So. Lincoln, Ill. Lincoln 33 Coleman Hawkins F 6-10 215 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. Prolific Prep 22 Austin Hutcherson G 6-6 180 r-Jr. New York, N.Y. Wesleyan 12 Brandon Lieb C 7-0 210 Fr. Deerfield, Ill. Deerfield 44 Adam Miller G 6-3 180 Fr. Peoria, Ill. Morgan Park 10 Edgar Padilla Jr. G 6-1 165 Fr. Carolina, Puerto Rico San Ignacio de Loyola 2 Connor Serven F 6-9 215 Fr. Bushnell, Ill. St. Rita 32 Tyler Underwood G 6-2 180 Gr. Champaign, Ill. Oklahoma State 20 Da’Monte Williams G 6-3 215 Sr. Peoria, Ill. Manual Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head Basketball Coach: Brad Underwood (4th year at Illinois, 8th year overall) Assistant Coaches: Orlando Antigua (4th year), Ron Coleman (4th year), Stephen Gentry (2nd year) Assistant to the Head Coach: Geoff Alexander (4th year) Strength & Conditioning Coach: Adam Fletcher (6th year) Assistant Athletic Director: Joey Biggs (4th year) Video Coordinator: Zach Hamer (2nd year) Athletic Trainer: Paul Schmidt (9th year) Director of Creative Media: Kelsea Ansfield (4th year) Graduate Managers: Kwa Jones (2nd year), Neel Ganta (1st year) PRONUNCIATION GUIDE GIORGI BEZHANISHVILI GEORGE-ee be-SHON-ish-vil-ee KOFI COCKBURN KO-fee KO-burn Andre CURBELO cur-BELL-oh AYO DOSUNMU EYE-oh dough-SUE-moo Brandon LIEB LEEB DA’MONTE Williams da-MON-tay 26 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE FIGHTING ILLINI SEASON PREVIEW Illinois returned to the national stage last season, Bezhanishvili started 24 games last year, averaging 6.8 RETURNING FOR THE ILLINI IN 2020-21 going 21-10 overall and 13-7 in conference play to points and 4.8 rebounds. The junior excels in the post, Category 19-20 Returning Lost Return Pct. finish one game back of the title. The Illini earned a showcasing a variety of moves with his back to the Minutes 6,225 4,379 1,846 70.3% bye to the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals for the basket. He also plays the four when the Illini coaches Points 2,239 1,529 710 68.3% first time in nine years and was set to make its first employ a bigger lineup. Bezhanishvili is an adept passer, Field Goals 811 557 254 68.7% NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons when often finding Cockburn inside for scoring opportunities. 3-Pt. FGs 175 106 69 60.6% the postseason was cancelled due to the emergence of Free Throws 442 309 133 69.9% COVID-19. Despite the disappointment of the abrupt Two players are now available after practicing with the Rebounds 1,224 762 356 68.2% Assists 411 283 128 68.9% ending, Illinois’ achievements were recognized with a team last year while sitting out games due to transfer Blocks 89 78 11 87.6% final ranking of No. 21 in the AP poll, the program’s first rules. Junior Jacob Grandison is a versatile 6-6 player Steals 151 100 51 66.2% top-25 finish since 2006. who can play on the wing or at the four. He led Holy Cross in scoring (13.9 ppg) and 3-pointers while ranking second RETURNING ILLINI LEADERS Now the Illini Nation fan base is reenergized and on the Crusaders in rebounding (5.0 rpg) two seasons Category Player Statistic 19-20 Rank expectations are raised, which is just what fourth-year ago. Fellow junior Austin Hutcherson is a 6-6 guard Minutes Ayo Dosunmu 1006 1st head coach Brad Underwood set out to do since his who was a dynamic scorer at Division III Wesleyan in Points Ayo Dosunmu 498 1st arrival in Champaign. Bolstered by the decision of two Connecticut, averaging 20.0 points while shooting nearly Points/Game Ayo Dosunmu 16.6 1st key players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return 40 percent from 3-point land in 2019. Field Goals Ayo Dosunmu 196 1st to campus, and accompanied by a bevy of returning FG Pct. Kofi Cockburn .532 1st production and the addition of a highly ranked recruiting Rounding out the Illini returners are sophomore Jermaine 3-Pt. FGs Trent Frazier 51 1st class, Illinois enters the 2020-21 season with a No. 8 Hamlin, who played in 16 games last year and provides 3-Pt. FG Pct. Trent Frazier .309 2nd Free Throws Kofi Cockburn 111 1st depth at center, and redshirt-freshman ranking and the highest of goals on the horizon. Benjamin FT Pct. Trent Frazier .853 2nd Bosmans-Verdonk, a forward who appeared in nine Off. Reb. Kofi Cockburn 107 1st It all starts at the point, and the Illini have arguably games before missing the remainder of the season with Def. Reb. Kofi Cockburn 165 1st the best in national player of the year candidate Ayo a foot injury. Tot. Reb. Kofi Cockburn 272 1st Dosunmu. The Chicago native had a brilliant sophomore Reb./Game Kofi Cockburn 8.8 1st season, averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 Illinois welcomes a top-15 recruiting class to the mix Assists Ayo Dosunmu 100 1st assists to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors by the this season in top-50 guards Andre Curbelo and Adam Blocks Kofi Cockburn 44 1st media. Most importantly he was a closer, draining a Miller, three-star forward Coleman Hawkins and center Steals Trent Frazier 29 1st number of clutch shots in the closing seconds of six Illini Brandon Lieb. victories during league play. After weighing heavily his RETURNING ILLINI TOTALS professional options, Dosunmu created a stir when he Curbelo is a prototypical point guard who has a knack 2019-20 Career elected to return for his junior year. He now finds himself for passing and creating opportunities off the dribble for Starts Trent Frazier 30 77 himself and his teammates. He averaged 16.7 points, 8.1 on seemingly every award watch list and All-America Ayo Dosunmu 30 62 team, recognized as one of the faces of college basketball assists, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals as a senior at Long Giorgi Bezhanishvili 24 57 this season. Island Lutheran. A native of Puerto Rico, Curbelo also has Da’Monte Williams 22 43 FIBA U19 and U17 World Cup experience. Kofi Cockburn 31 31 Many of Dosunmu’s assists last season were to the man Tyler Underwood 1 1 in the middle, Kofi Cockburn. The Kingston, Jamaica Miller is the reigning Illinois Mr. Basketball, becoming product had a record-breaking season in the paint for the 13th recipient of the award to play for the Illini. He Leads Team in Scoring a rookie, culminating in Big Ten Freshman of the Year is a scoring guard with deep range and a prolific 3-point Ayo Dosunmu 15 31 honors. Cockburn averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds stroke.