Illinois Basketball: 5 options for the Illini in the transfer portal 3.0

Illinois basketball needs to fill a couple of spots on the team, and there are players in the transfer portal who can help with this problem.

The Illini have now lost three players to the transfer portal. The offseason hasn’t been terrible for the Orange and Blue, though. We did land five-star guard Skyy Clark less than two weeks ago. He helps fill those big voids left by the departing players.

But Illinois still needs to add a player or two via the transfer portal. There are still some big names out there.

Here are five options for the Illinois basketball team in the transfer portal 3.0.

1. Terrence Shannon

I think the top player left in the transfer portal right now is Terrence Shannon Jr. He is someone who Illinois missed the first time around, but this is a chance to make things right.

Coming out of IMG Academy in 2019, Shannon was a four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 90 player in the nation. He had numerous teams after his services, but Texas Tech was the eventual landing spot.

Shannon spent three seasons with the Red Raiders. His best year came in 2020-21 when he averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He also shot 44.8% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range.

One thing to keep an eye on is Shannon’s three-point shooting improvement. He went from shooting 35.7% from three-point range two years ago to 38.4% this past season. That is what I like to see in a player.

Ever since Shannon entered the transfer portal back on April 7, things have been pretty quiet with this recruitment. Illinois seems to be up there toward the top, but it looks like Kentucky and Michigan are two of the biggest competitors.

I would say Shannon is the No. 1 target for Illinois right now. He would help replace some of the guard talent that has departed the Illini program. Shannon would instantly be a starter for the Orange and Blue in 2022-23. He also has two years of eligibility left, which is big.