Illinois Basketball: 3 options for the Illini after missing on Enoch Boakye

3. Tre Mitchell

The final great option I want to point out is UMass big man Tre Mitchell. He announced that he was putting his name into the transfer portal about two weeks ago, and this piqued the interest of Illini fans everywhere.

Mitchell is, arguably, the best big man option on the market right now. The recruiting attention is clearly showing this fact, as it is being reported by Adam Zagoria that over 75 programs have reached out to Mitchell about his services.

I would assume Illinois is one of the main programs that has reached out to Mitchell, considering they were one of the teams in the running for him when he was coming out of Woodstock Academy in 2019.

The first time Mitchell was being recruited, the Illini took multiple visits to Mitchell’s high school and even received an official visit from the big man on October 12, 2018. But the Illini didn’t win out for him, and he ended up with the Minutemen.

Now Illinois might have a second chance at the former four-star. While they are saying he wouldn’t be eligible immediately, it seems that the NCAA has been lenient on the transfer rules, so maybe there can be some type of waiver put in for Mitchell to play this season.

Either way, Mitchell would be a great option for Illinois at the No. 5 spot moving forward. Just this past season alone, he averaged 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. This kid is extremely polished on the offensive end of the court. He is what the NBA is looking for. His ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court is impressive. Mitchell has great handles too.

Illinois needs to put a lot of resources into landing Mitchell if they have any hint he is interested in coming to Champaign. This kid has star written all over him. He is incredible.