Illinois Basketball: Nimari Burnett and the Illini create an ideal coalition

Former five-star recruit and Texas Tech guard Nimari Burnett has officially left the Red Raider program and intends on entering the transfer portal. Burnett is a Chicago native, and there are numerous connections to the Illinois basketball program.

I will get into how the Illini would benefit from landing the highly touted guard, how the opportunity should appeal to Burnett and an in-depth breakdown of Burnett as a player.

As I tweeted, after Shams Charania broke the official news of Burnett leaving the Red Raider program, head coach Brad Underwood should be the first call he receives. The Illini must be all in on this transfer for multiple reasons.

The Illini have one 2021 commit, Luke Goode, and outside of the premier wing shooter, the staff has struck out on the recruiting trail in this cycle. Jordan Nesbitt, Ty Ty Washington, Brandon Weston and Bryce Hopkins are just a few of the names that slipped through the cracks.

The lack of opportunity and volume at Texas Tech for Nimari Burnett has created the exact, ideal, opportunity for Coach Underwood and the Illini basketball staff. Burnett provides the chance to keep the program front and center in the Big Ten and as a national contender, as two of the Illini’s top players of the last decade will likely move on to the NBA this offseason.

This is a key hinging point for the Illini program and Coach Underwood, as recruiting droughts are often the difference between a good program and a nationally profound program.

The former McDonald’s All American should see massive appeal partnering with one of the most talented and productive playmakers in the country in Andre Curbelo. Outside of having a very close-knit relationship with his family, Burnett played all four of his high school seasons alongside current Illini.

Burnett played his freshman season at Morgan Park alongside Ayo Dosunmu. Looking for more national competition and a larger stage for recruitment, Burnett joined Prolific Prep in Napa, California where he played three seasons with Illini freshman forward, Coleman Hawkins.

Hawkins and Burnett have a very close relationship.

Ayo is a projected top 10 prospect according to Front Office Gurus, meaning it is more than likely he is an NBA player a year from now. Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams do have an extra season of eligibility if they choose to use it, but if not, Burnett would have an immediate opportunity to fill a 26.3 field goal attempt per game void. As the transfer rules have officially changed, Burnett could slide in smoothly alongside Curbelo and Adam Miller in the lineup next season.

I had the pleasure of attending the Chambana Classic last season where Hawkins, Jalen Green and Burnett came to town with Prolific Prep to take on numerous opponents. I walked away with staggering reviews of Burnett, projecting him as a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Burnett is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard who thrives as a high volume shooter and a versatile, gritty defender with a massive 7-foot wingspan. Offensively, he can play on and off the ball. A high release, good athleticism and a natural ability to find his shot made him one of the top-rated scorers in the nation in the class of 2020.

The Chicago native has the ideal skillset and measurements to translate to the next level, and with the right opportunity, he will display elite shot making ability, defensive versatility guarding the 1-thru-3 and sneaky impressive instincts to pick passing lanes and kick-start transitions.

Texas Tech has been an NBA factory under Chris Beard, but playing beside Mac McClung, Terrence Shannon Jr (a name Illini fans should recall) and Kyler Edwards didn’t present enough volume that Burnett was seeking. He took just four shots in 17 minutes per game and struggled with efficiency.

The Illini represents a destination with starter-level minutes and available volume while allowing Burnett to come play at home. On paper, there is no debate Illinois is the most plausible and appealing destination for Burnett. But, there will be no shortage of competition.

Burnett could test NBA waters and would test out extremely well, but as an evaluator, there simply is not enough film. In addition, Michigan, Oregon and Alabama, among others, were deeply entrenched in Burnett’s recruitment and figure to be once again assuming his name lands in the portal.

The Fighting Illini basketball program’s stock is hot. Burnett’s availability provides an opportunity to keep it that way in the post-Ayo Dosunmu & Kofi Cockburn era.