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Illinois Basketball: Top transfer targets the Illini pursuing 2.0

By Rees Woodcock

COLLEGE PARK, MD - DECEMBER 07: A view of the Nike shoes worn by Alan Griffin #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini with the words Have Fun written on the side during the first half of the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on December 7, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - DECEMBER 07: A view of the Nike shoes worn by Alan Griffin #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini with the words Have Fun written on the side during the first half of the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on December 7, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 18: Kahlil Whitney #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Utah Valley Wolverines at Rupp Arena on November 18, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 18: Kahlil Whitney #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Utah Valley Wolverines at Rupp Arena on November 18, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

3. Kahlil Whitney

The second of the two transfers who have been quiet this offseason is Kahlil Whitney. His transfer away from Kentucky wasn’t surprising but it sent shockwaves through the basketball world.

Whitney was one of the best recruits in the nation two years ago. He had every team in the nation coming after him, and Illinois was one of the programs that had a chance. But Whitney saw greener pastures at Kentucky and decided to pick the Wildcats.

Things didn’t go as planned for Whitney. He only had a chance to play in 18 games and only saw 12.8 minutes per contest. He averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game with the Wildcats. This wasn’t a good experience for the superstar wing, so he is on the transfer market.

What could happen with Whitney this offseason? Well, there are a lot of reports of him leaning toward the NBA Draft. That means there is no transfer market for him. But there is always a possibility the kid could come back to college and hone his skills if he doesn’t get the feedback he is looking for.

If Whitney does come back to the college game, it looks like Georgetown, Seton Hall and Illinois are the possible landing spots. He played high school ball over on the east coast, so Georgetown and Seton Hall make sense. But he also played AAU ball in Chicago, so Illinois is definitely an option.

I would love to land someone like Whitney. We could slot him at the No. 3 or No. 4 and let him go to work. He would fit in seamlessly, and I believe we would be a national title contender.

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