Illinois Basketball: Illini make trimmed list for transfer portal big man

Brad Underwood has a chance to form the Illinois basketball program into a national title contender through the transfer portal.

As of right now, the Illini have officially lost two players to the transfer portal. Jayden Epps was the first domino to fall. His presence in the backcourt will be missed.

Brandon Lieb was the next player to depart the program. He is a backup big man who could have seen some minutes this upcoming season.

Without these two players, Illinois now has a couple more scholarships available to fill for the upcoming campaign. I believe the Illini have eight players on scholarship with the potential of nine if Coleman Hawkins returns. That leaves either four or five scholarships available.

An option for one of those spots is Kadin Shedrick. He is a 6-foot-11, 231-pound, big man who played his first three years at Virginia but is now looking for a new home. That home could possibly be Champaign.

Illinois basketball is one step closer to landing Kadin Shedrick out of the transfer portal

Over the past couple of days, numerous teams have been contacting Shedrick about his services. On Thursday, Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers reported that the talented big man has trimmed his list down.

There are still about 18 teams on his trimmed list, but Shedrick has kept the Illini alive for his commitment. As long as we are on his list, I still have hope of landing him.

Shedrick brings solid talent to the court. At 6-foot-11, his height alone is enticing. This past season, Shedrick averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest.

I think Shedrick would fit in well with the Illini. He is probably looking to be a starting in the frontcourt, though. I honestly don’t think he would start for the Orange and Blue. He would still get 15-20 minutes per game, but I think Dain Dainja would be a better option at the No. 5 spot.

If Shedrick is willing to come off the bench, I could see this marriage happening. But I have my doubts that he wants to transfer to be a role player. Let’s see how this one plays out.