College basketball has become a guard’s game.
Forget the Big Dipper and the Sky Hook. Shaq does commercials now. Villanova won the NCAA title last season with Jalen Brunson earning his spurs alongside guards Josh Hart and Ryan Arciadiacono.
The multiple championship runs by UConn (2011 and 2014) and Duke (2010 and 2015) were propelled by extraordinary backcourt play.
Even Kentucky and North Carolina powerhouses had electric playmakers.
Illini troubles can be traced directly to a lack thereof. You could get by with Malcolm Hill, Maverick Morgan and Leron Black up front if you had Dee Brown and Deron Williams at the guards.