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Illinois Basketball: Top 7 transfers the Illini are pursuing

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 09: Illinois Fighting Illini Head Coach Brad Underwood looks up at the scoreboard to check out a replay during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 9, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.(Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 09: Illinois Fighting Illini Head Coach Brad Underwood looks up at the scoreboard to check out a replay during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 9, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.(Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 29: Brandon Johnson #35 of the Western Michigan Broncos and Conner George #41 of the Michigan State Spartans battle for a loose ball in the second half at Breslin Center on December 29, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 29: Brandon Johnson #35 of the Western Michigan Broncos and Conner George #41 of the Michigan State Spartans battle for a loose ball in the second half at Breslin Center on December 29, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

4. Brandon Johnson

There isn’t a lot of size in the transfer market this year. Usually, there are some bigger players who can either play the No. 4 or No. 5 for teams. That isn’t the case so much this offseason. That is why someone like Brandon Johnson is wanted by just about every team in the country.

Coming out of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy in Indiana, Johnson wasn’t being looked at by many programs. He wasn’t rated or ranked by the recruiting sites either. He would eventually settle on Western Michigan as the landing spot where he would start his basketball career.

Johnson has been a great addition to the Broncos roster. He averaged 8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. Those were good numbers in year one. He increased those numbers during his sophomore campaign, averaging 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He was also a defensive specialist for the program.

As a junior, Johnson had to sit out the year due to injury. He did take a medical redshirt, though, so that preserved his eligibility. This past season was Johnson’s best so far. He averaged 15.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block per game. He was a beast inside and could do just about everything on the court.

On Monday, Johnson entered the transfer portal. He is a graduate transfer, so he can play right away. He has heard from a number of teams including Illinois. I would imagine the Illini have to be an attractive destination considering he is from the state of Illinois. We also need a solid No. 4 for the upcoming season. I would think Johnson would start from day one.

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