Illinois Basketball: Illini looking to upgrade 3-point shooting in transfer portal

Illinois basketball is looking at another talented shooter in the transfer portal.

So far this offseason, the Illini have been hard at work trying to pull in a couple of talented players who could help this team reach new heights.

This past season didn’t go as planned, but I think with a couple of good transfer portal players, Illinois will be right back in the thick of things competing for a Big Ten title and trying to make a run in March.

A possible option for the Illini in the transfer portal is Chance McMillian. He is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard out of Grand Canyon. McMillian has decided to transfer out of the Antelopes program and is now looking for a new home.

On Sunday, Dushawn London of 247Sports reported that McMillian had numerous teams vying for his services. Among the programs that had already reached out to the talented guard was Illinois.

Transfer portal guard Chance McMillian would give the Illinois basketball team more guard depth

McMillian just finished up his third season with Grand Canyon, but thanks to the COVID rules, he was only a sophomore. So, he still has two years of eligibility remaining.

Through the first three seasons, McMillian’s progression has been impressive. He has increased his points, rebounds, and assists each year while also improving his shoot numbers from year one to year three. This past season, McMillian shot a career-best 44.4% from three-point range.

I like the fact Illinois is eyeing McMillian. This is the type of player I want on the roster. He fits the mold of a high-level role player who can put up big numbers on certain nights.

McMillian could easily come in and get 20-ish minutes in his first game. I would have him coming off the bench at the No. 1 through No. 3 spots on the floor. This would give Brad Underwood a lot of flexibility for the upcoming season.

It is also extremely intriguing that McMillian can shoot 44.4% from three-point range. He took 135 three-pointers this past season compared to 86 three-pointers in 2021-22. McMillian shot 49 more three-pointers and increased his shooting percentage by nearly 10%. That is impressive.

McMillian’s three-point shooting would also be the best on the Illinois basketball team this past season. The next closest was Luke Goode at 42.1%.

I want Illinois to land two or three solid players. We don’t need players who average 20 points per game. This program needs team-oriented guys who do whatever it takes to win games. It seems that McMillian would fit that mold.