Illinois Basketball: Predictions for Illini's 2014-15 Team Awards

In 2013-14, Illinois' Rayvonte Rice was awarded the team's Most Valuable Player honor. Fellow transfer Aaron Cosby was given the team's Most Improved Player Award, despite sitting out the 2013-14 campaign after coming to Champaign from Seton Hall.

Fifth-year senior Jon Ekey earned Illinois' Sixth-Man Award, while also winning the Matt Heldman "Matto" Award and Orange Krush Three-Point Shooting Award. Now-senior Nnanna Egwu was also recognized for his accomplishments as both a rebounder and defender. 

Here is a look at my predictions on the team's major awards, as well as some miscellaneous awards that players may not get as much recognition for. Expectations are high for Illinois in 2014-15, after falling just short of the NCAA tournament last March.

Most Valuable Player

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As was the case a year ago, Rice should be Illinois' best player once again this upcoming year. Rice led Illinois in scoring a year ago at a 15.9-point clip, 5.2 points higher than the team's second leading scorer Tracy Abrams.

Despite only standing 6'4", Rice also tied for the team lead in rebounds, pulling in 6.0 boards a night. Adding to his all-around game, Rice led the team in steals, finished second in blocked shots and third in assists. Rice is capable of playing either wing position and may even see short spurts at power forward in a small-ball type lineup.

With the additions of sharpshooters Aaron Cosby and Ahmad Starks, Rice will be able to focus his offensive efforts on attacking the rim and won't have to settle for perimeter jumpers with these welcome additions. Look for Rice to play upwards of 30-plus minutes per game yet again.

Most Improved Player

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As a freshman, Nunn averaged 6.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.5 minutes of action, though those figures are not very indicative of Nunn's freshman season. Once Nunn entered the starting lineup on February 19 at Penn State, he was arguably Illinois' second best player the rest of the way.

In the team's final 10 regular-season games, Nunn connected on 20 three-pointers and reached double-figure scoring on seven occasions. Because of his late-season outburst, Nunn was selected to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team.

While Nunn can hit the long ball, as well as attack the rim, he is even more fearless on the defensive end of the court. He butted heads with both D.J. Newbill and Branden Dawson last season, playing with a chip on his shoulder. With a full season's worth of starter minutes, I expect Nunn to be Illinois' second best player.

6th-Man Award

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While the team's starting lineup is far from set in stone, my initial guess is that Starks, Nunn, Rice, Malcolm Hill and Nnanna Egwu will be the five on the court when the ball tips off. While Cosby is certainly capable of beating one of those guards out as a starter, Starks is a more natural point guard selection with Tracy Abrams' torn ACL. 

Cosby, who played two seasons at Seton Hall, should help Illinois greatly on the offensive end of the court. Illinois was not a good three-point shooting team a season ago, which is exactly where Cosby comes in. As a sophomore, Cosby averaged over 12 points per game and could fit the instant offense role off John Groce's bench perfectly.

While oftentimes it takes new players a while to become accustomed to a new playing style, Cosby was on Illinois' scout team last season and was their most improved player, despite not playing in a single game. Ironically, Rice received the most improved player award during his redshirt season after transferring from Drake. Look for Cosby and freshman Leron Black to be the team's top two options off the bench.

Miscellaneous Awards

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Most Inspirational Player: Rayvonte Rice
Illini Rebounders Award: Nnanna Egwu
Ralf Woods Free Throw Trophy: Malcolm Hill
Orange Krush 3-Point Award: Aaron Cosby
Lou Henson Courage Award: Ahmad Starks
Matt Heldman "Matto" Award: Kendrick Nunn

As a senior, look for a hungry Rice to lead Illinois to his first NCAA Tournament appearance. As a three-year starter at center, Egwu is poised for a big senior season. With added muscle, expect Hill to play on the inside more than a season ago, while still fulfilling his stretch 4 role.

As previously mentioned, Cosby is a keen shooter who isn't afraid to shoot the rock from deep. At 5'9", Starks plays with plenty of heart and will need to fill the void left when Abrams' goes down to injury. Nunn isn't afraid to dive on the floor, get into his opponent's face or take a charge, all of which are considered winning plays.