1. Trevor Lakes
The transfer market once consisted of this robust list of players who could come to Champaign. While that list has narrowed considerably, there are still some strong names out there.
I believe the player who could help the Illini the most for the upcoming season is Trevor Lakes. This name might come as a surprise to some people, but I see Lakes have a big career at the DI level.
Coming out of Lebanon High School in Indiana, Lakes wasn’t being recruited heavily by any means. He ended up playing his first three years of college basketball with the University of Indianapolis.
During his freshman season with the Greyhounds, Lakes averaged 5.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He did see action that year in 28 games and shot 45.2-percent from three-point range. He made a jump in numbers during his sophomore season averaging 14.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. His three-point shooting did drop slightly, but he still managed to shoot 39.7-percent from distance.
Last season was Lakes’ best year with the U of Indy. He finished his junior campaign averaging 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He shot 39.8-percent from three-point range as well.
Lakes is a superstar in the making. Some people might be worried that he is a DII player, but anyone who can shoot that well from distance will translate at the next level. I see him being a Duncan Robinson type of player for the Illini.