Illinois point guard Tracy Abrams suffered a right knee injury in team workouts on Monday that resulted in an ACL tear. He will miss the entire 2014-2015 season and will redshirt. He is expected to return for the 2015-16 season. 

“Tracy worked hard in the offseason to put himself in great position heading into his senior year,” Illinois head coach John Groce said in a press release. “So he’s obviously disappointed and we are for him as well.

“But Tracy personifies toughness; he has the heart of a champion and I know that he will only come back stronger from this experience when he returns to the court next year. In the meantime, he will continue to play a vital role for our program with his leadership.”

With Abrams sidelined, the Illini have lost a point guard who started 67 of 71 games at the position in the last two seasons, as well as 19 starts his freshman year. Abrams averaged 10.7 points per game as a junior while connecting on 33 percent of his shots and tallying 3.2 assists per game.

The Illini still possess a relatively deep backcourt, and will look to point guards Jaylon Tate and Ahmad Starks to fill Abrams’ void.

Tate is a sophomore who showed flashes of elite court vision during his freshman year, but shooting struggles kept him from getting big minutes. Starks is a senior transfer from Oregon State who will suit up for his first and only season with the Illini. 

Though Starks is an inch or two shorter than his listed height of 5-foot-9, he possesses excellent shooting range and quickness. He holds the record for the most 3-pointers made in Oregon State history, with 185. He has Illinois roots, as he played his high school ball for Whitney Young in Chicago.

Starks applied for a hardship waiver during his transfer process in hopes of suiting up for the 2013-14 Illini, but it was denied by the NCAA. That decision may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Illini, who will now rely on backcourt depth in the wake of Abrams’ injury. 

Alex is a junior in AHS. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aroux94.