Illinois Basketball: Illini eyeing another big name in the transfer portal

Illinois basketball continues to be in the transfer portal headlines, this time we are targeting one of the biggest players available.

The Illini have been in contact with various transfers in the portal thus far. We were able to snag Terrence Shannon Jr., who will be an instant starter on the wing. But there are a few spots still available on the Illinois roster. One of the names we are now targeting is Matthew Mayer.

Coming out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, Mayer was a four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 92 player in the class of 2018. He was also the No. 21 small forward in the nation and the No. 4 player coming out of Texas.

Mayer had quite a few scholarship offers but would stay in his hometown state and play for the Baylor Bears. The four years Mayer has been with the Bears have been quite impressive. This past season, he managed to average 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. With one year of eligibility remaining, Mayer is now looking for a new home after entering the transfer portal.

On Thursday, it was officially announced that Illinois has thrown their hat into the ring for Mayer. According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.com, Illinois is one of the many teams to have contacted the Baylor standout.

Illinois basketball is trying to stretch the floor through the transfer portal.

I think the Illini are going to sport a long athletic lineup that can shoot the ball this fall and winter. It wouldn’t shock me to see Coleman Hawkins starting at the No. 5 spot even though he is a more natural No. 4.

The addition of Mayer would give Illinois another big-time big man who can run the court well and can knock down shots from distance. During his junior year, he hit 39.5% from three-point range. If we could get that version of Mayer, Illinois would win a ton of games.

Mayer is also 6-foot-9, meaning he could play the No. 4 spot while Hawkins – who is 6-foot-10 – could be at the No. 5. I would then shift RJ Melendez over to the No. 3 spot. He is 6-foot-7. Illinois would have a tremendously tall lineup.

I wrote a piece about three potential players Illinois could add from the transfer portal that would help the frontcourt. Meyer was in that piece. I think he would be a great addition and one that could help us get over the edge of the second round.