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Illinois has a point guard problem with Tracy Abrams out for the year

Illinois has a point guard problem with Tracy Abrams out for the year

The bad luck that has haunted the Illinois basketball program during John Groce's tenure doesn't seem likely to subside anytime soon.

The Illini will have to play without their starting point guard for a second straight season next year after Tracy Abrams tore an Achilles tendon during a workout on Monday.

The injury to Abrams is especially galling because he had missed all of last season too as a result of a torn ACL suffered in early November. The fifth-year senior had been on the verge of playing at an all-conference level prior to the injuries, having averaged 10.6 points and 3.5 assists as a sophomore and 10.7 points and 3.2 assists as a junior.

Abrams' return had been expected to shore up the point guard position for Illinois, a problem area all of last season for an Illini program that faded late in Big Ten play and missed the NCAA tournament for a second straight year. Now Illinois will have to rely on unproven players or converted wings for a second consecutive season.

The most likely candidate to start at point guard is Jaylon Tate, the lone natural point guard on the roster. The junior sees the floor well but he isn't a great defender and his jump shot is a major liability, as evidenced by his 1-for-12 shooting from behind the arc.

Another option might be freshman combo guard Jalen Coleman-Lands, a consensus top 50 recruit from La Porte, Ind. The problem is Coleman-Lands has more experience at shooting guard than point guard and is sidelined by a stress fracture that will likely sideline him until October.

Beyond that, the options are even less promising. Returning standouts Kendrick Nunn or Malcolm Hill could play out of position and help with ball handling or incoming freshman D.J. Williams could slide from wing to point guard in a pinch as well.

Groce has dealt with plenty of adversity his first three seasons, from Abrams' season-ending injuries, to Rayvonte Rice and Aaron Cosby each goin down with ill-timed injuries last January.

He'll need to find a way to make it work next season in what could be a make-or-break year for him and his staff.

His conference is loaded with elite teams. His fan base is eager to get back to the NCAA tournament. And now his point guard position is in flux for a second straight season.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!