4. Manny Bates
Illinois could always use more help in the paint, and someone like Manny Bates could be a great option in the transfer portal.
Bates wasn’t highly rated coming out of high school. He was a four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 104 player in the class of 2018. Bates still had a ton of recruiting attention, though. He ended up picking North Carolina State as his landing spot.
The career for Bates is actually pretty solid with the Wolfpack. He played two full seasons and his best year consisted of 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. This past season, he only saw action in one game before missing the year with a shoulder injury.
With three years of eligibility remaining, Bates is an attractive option in the transfer portal. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game, which is nasty. He could be a Nnanna Egwu type of player who can actually score the ball and rebound well.
After Bates entered the transfer portal, there were numerous teams that contacted the big man. Illinois was one of those programs. We could use a player of his size as well.
Bates is a 6-foot-11, 230-pound monster. Illinois doesn’t have an experienced big man on the roster right now unless Kofi Cockburn returns. I don’t think that will happen, though. Bates is intriguing to me because he plays a position of need for the Illini. He could duke it out with Dain Dainja for the starting No. 5 spot on the roster.