Illinois Basketball: 4 transfer options to fill the Illini roster

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 19: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on against the Drexel Dragons in the second half of the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Illinois basketball is going through some roster changes after one of the best seasons in recent memory.

It is great to have Trent Frazier return, but it is even better that he doesn’t count against the scholarship total for the Illini. Illinois was also able to secure a couple of big transfers this offseason. These players will help the program tremendously as well.

With Kofi Cockburn declaring for the NBA and Jermaine Hamlin transferring out, that leaves Illinois with 11 players who will count against the scholarship total. This means the Illini have two scholarships to fill for next season. But how will they fill these spots?

Here are four transfer options for the Illinois basketball team to fill the remaining scholarships.

1. Nick Robinson

Illinois could always use more experienced guard depth on the roster, and someone like Nick Robinson would help bring that knowledge to the Illini backcourt.

As a 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Kenwood Academy in Chicago, Illinois, Robinson had various scholarship offers on his hands. He was rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 297 player in the class of 2016. He was also the No. 59 shooting guard in the nation and the No. 8 player in the state of Illinois.

Robinson decided to head to St. Joseph’s to play his college ball. He spent two seasons with the Hawks, with his best season coming as a sophomore where Robinson averaged 7.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

After his second season with St. Joseph’s, Robinson transferred out and took his talents to Valparaiso, which is much closer to his Chicago home. Robinson would spend a little over a season with Valpo, with his best run coming this past year. He only played eight games before opting out and transferring, but Robinson would average 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the short stint.

Now Robinson is looking for a new home to finish his collegiate career. One option could be Illinois. The second level of the Illini roster consists of a lot of unproven freshman talent. I would like that freshman talent to still play, but it would also be nice to have an experienced guard coming off the bench to give Illinois a spark. Robinson could provide that.

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