Dec. 18 -- Hoops HQ, a new college basketball venture from Seth Davis, posted a thought-provoking graphic on Tuesday. One of those, "Here's $15 to build your perfect lineup" thought exercises.

Did I spend a good chunk of the day obsessing about how I would build the best lineup? You bet. I had to work within the budget, of course, but also took into account, well, some of the same things Brad Underwood prioritized in building the 2024-25 Illinois roster. Turns out I'm also a fan of positional size and shooting.

Here's how my lineup came together ...

-- The first spot was the easiest. Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis at $2? A steal! That's a potential top five pick at a bargain. A potential top five pick currently averaging 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists, shooting 42 percent from three-point range and showing a real knack for late-game takeovers.

-- There was another easy choice in that I decided I didn't need/want any of the available centers. Indiana's Oumar Ballo was a non-starter given I wasn't interested in a plodder. I also had zero interest in Kansas' Hunter Dickinson -- and not just to pander to my likely audience. Freshmen Derik Queen (Maryland) and Khaman Maluach (Duke) were intriguing, and Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner was a solid defensive choice, but I intended to spend my money elsewhere.

Which was why Auburn's Johni Broome at $5 was the pick for my starting big man. The 6-foot-10 forward is arguably the frontrunner for national player of the year, starring for the No. 2 Tigers while putting up 19.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 blocks per game. And if he can boost his three-point shooting to last year's level (35.4 percent), that would only be a bonus.

-- I chose to pick a pair of $5 options with Marquette guard Kam Jones joining Jakucionis in my backcourt both for veteran presence and notable productivity. The 6-4 senior guard is averaging 20.1 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds to go with a 57/41/75 shooting slash. Well worth the cost given he's also a strong defender.

-- Going with two $5 players means saving money elsewhere, but taking Texas Tech's JT Toppin for $2 is hardly a sacrifice. The 6-9 forward is a double-double machine and another good defender. Toppin is averaging 18.6 points and 11 rebounds in his first season with the Red Raiders after transferring from New Mexico.

-- The final spot in my lineup had to come from the $1 tier. Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler got serious consideration for his defensive prowess, but I wanted more shooting. So Duke freshman Kon Knueppel was the answer. The 6-7 guard hasn't been quite as efficient from three-point range as expected (shooting 32 percent from deep after an 0-fer Tuesday against George Mason). But the fact he's currently a 95 percent free throw shooter for the Blue Devils and shot 39.5 percent from three as a senior in high school and 47.5 percent from the perimeter in the EYBL gives me hope he'll figure it out.