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Projecting Illinois' 2026-27 Lineup After the Lucas Morillo Signing

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jason Langendorf | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 12:04 AM ET

Illinois finally made a splash in the 2026 recruiting cycle, reeling in four-star guard Lucas Morillo on Friday to significantly bolster the program's foundation for at least the next year or two. Morillo, a 6-foot-7 guard who attends The Newman School in Boston, rates among the top 40-60 players in his class, depending on which recruiting service you trust most. But given his size and dynamic ability – as well as the Illini's recent success at identifying underrated recruits or talent on the way up – Morillo seems likely to at least deliver on that potential, and perhaps outplay his current ranking.

In any case, Morillo should receive every opportunity to play early in his career, especially if certain roster developments clear his path to the rotation – and maybe the starting lineup – in 2026-27. We know, we know: We're still days away from the official start of this college basketball season, but as always, it's fun to look ahead and consider all the possibilities, particularly with the momentum coach Brad Underwood has built up to this point. So let's break out the tea leaves, gaze into the crystal ball and predict what the future holds for the Illini lineup a full year from now.

Illinois' likely 2026 departures

Before moving the pieces around Underwood's lineup, we first need to know which of them will still be available. Good luck with that, buddy. The NCAA's eligibility rules are a mess right now, so even for the players whose time would seem to be up, there may be a path to return. But for the sake of this exercise, we'll trust the recent news that the NCAA will not be implementing the 5-for-5 rule anytime soon. If that proves to be the case, we know after the end of the 2025-26 season that we'll be waving goodbye to:G Kylan BoswellF Ben HumrichousG AJ Redd

Additionally, I expect another Illini to follow that group out the door – and land in the NBA:

C Tomislav Ivisic

Ivisic, a junior, is primed for a big season. If he stays healthy, shows off his improved fitness and maybe takes a bit more initiative calling for the ball and insisting the offense run through him (especially in crunch time), he will make his omission from the preseason All-Big Ten team look like an embarrassing mistake.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Might any of Ivisic's current teammates join him in opting for the pros after this season? It's possible. But wing Andrej Stojakovic has a lot of ground to make up after an extended recovery from a knee injury, and guard Keaton Wagler's one-and-done prospects are still very much up in the air. Transfers could come into play as well (three left the program this past offseason), but let's conservatively assume that Ivisic will be the Illini's only other departure after this season.

Illinois' 2026-27 projected lineup

Guard Ethan Brown and forward Landon Johnson join Morillo in Illinois' incoming class of 2026, but they are far less likely to contribute out of the gate. We'll make one final assumption – that Ty Rodgers (knee) will be healthy and back with the Illini for his senior season – and present Illinois' projected 2026-27 lineup:

Keep in mind, the Illini have become a virtually positionless group, with Morillo, Rodgers and David Mirkovic able to run some point, Wagler and Rodgers able to play three positions and the frontcourt rotation able to be treated roughly interchangeably. Underwood and his staff may not be done with the 2026 recruiting cycle, and realistically, it's unlikely that the Illini would escape an offseason in this day and age without a transfer. The above grouping and order will almost certainly look a little different at this time next year – but it's already shaping up to be quite a lineup in its current (projected) form.