Illinois Basketball: Transfer portal wish list for the Illini
The offseason is less than a month old for the Illinois basketball program, but the transfer portal is extremely hot right now.
There are so many talented players the Illini have already contacted. We have lost two players – Jayden Epps and Brandon Lieb – to the transfer portal. There could be one or two more players who enter in the coming month but who knows?
All I know is that Illinois has a handful of scholarships open, and there are players available who could help us win a lot of games next season.
Here are the transfer portal players who I want most for the Illinois basketball program
1. Kel’el Ware
There are some big names in the transfer portal right now, and the Illinois basketball team has been in contact with many of those players.
Kel’el Ware is someone who entered the transfer portal last week. He is a 7-foot, 210-pound, center who played one season at Oregon and is now looking for a new home. Ware has three years of eligibility remaining.
Coming out of North Little Rock High School in Arkansas, Ware was a highly wanted recruit. He was a five-star talent who was ranked as the No. 7 player in the class of 2022. Ware had a ton of suitors, but he would ultimately pick Oregon.
In the lone season with the Ducks, Ware would average 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per contest. He would only start in four games, though. Someone who is a five-star should be starting in every game for a program. I would imagine his playing time is a reason why he is not in Eugene anymore.
Illinois has already been in contact with Ware about coming to Champaign. As of right now, On3.com is predicting that Ware either lands with Memphis or Arkansas, but it seems that this recruitment is still pretty open. I don’t think there is a clear leader in the clubhouse.
If the Illini could land Ware, he would be a great option at the No. 4 or No. 5 spot. He would come into the program and start from day one. I would love to have this kid in Orange and Blue.