Glue Guy is probably an overused term these days in college basketball. But as rumors swirl about next season’s Illini basketball roster and coaching staff, it seems appropriate that Da’Monte Williams is coming back to provide a needed aspect of stability.
Williams announced on Wednesday that he will use the one-time extra year the NCAA is granting because of COVID-19 to suit up for a fifth season. Fellow senior Trent Frazier is also returning for a fifth year.
Williams is coming off his best season at Illinois, where he averaged 5.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while making an incredible 54.7% of 3-pointers. The Peoria Manual graduate also did yeoman’s work on the defensive end, often guarding opposing power forwards despite being only 6-foot-3.
Illinois’ backcourt next year will feature rising sophomore Andre Curbelo, Frazier and Utah transfer Alfonso Plummer. Star guard Ayo Dosunmu is entering the NBA Draft and freshman Adam Miller is in the transfer portal despite starting every game in his lone year in Champaign. Perhaps Williams can shift back to his natural guard position in 2021-22 depending on the rest of the roster churn.
The Illini roster remains in flux. Dosunmu, a first-team All-American, and junior big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili are for sure gone. Star center Kofi Cockburn has put his name in the NBA Draft with the option of returning. Wings Jacob Grandison and Austin Hutcherson are expected back, and the hope is that oft-injured Hutcherson can finally contribute. Transfer big man Omar Payne from Florida looks like a lock to step into the rotation.
Illinois also signed three wings from the prep ranks in Luke Goode, RJ Melendez and Brandin Podziemski, who won Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin.
Illinois remains active with transfers in the portal, and it awaits the decisions of Miller and Cockburn, as well as assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Ronald “Chin” Coleman, with the latter two likely heading to Kentucky’s staff under John Calipari.
But for today, at least, the return of Williams is a welcome salve to the flood of changes. Coach Brad Underwood knows what he’s getting with Williams: great effort defensively, timely shooting and much-needed experience.
