Illinois Basketball: Transfer portal wish list for the Illini

3. Micah Handlogten

Even before the departure of Brandon Lieb, it was clear that Illinois needed more help at the No. 5 spot. We needed more depth and maybe even talent at this position.

I think there is a good option out there in Micah Handlogten. He is a 7-foot-1, 227-pound, freshman who just finished his first season up with Marshall. He is now in the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

Handlogten wasn’t on the radar of big-time programs coming out of Southlake Christian Academy in North Carolina. He was rated as a three-star recruit, and most of his recruiting attention was coming from lower-level DI programs. He would eventually pick Marshall as his landing spot.

In his lone season with the Thundering Herd, Handlogten put up some impressive numbers. He would end up averaging 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 assists per game. He would also win the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award.

Handlogten has already heard from numerous teams, including Illinois. There isn’t a favorite to land him, as of right now. This would be a great opportunity for Illinois to swoop in and land a really talented big man.

I could see Handlogten coming into the program and starting at the No. 5 spot. Dain Dainja would have to either shift over to the No. 4 or he could be a great timeshare option with Handlogten. I imagine both would split time equally. This would give Illinois some big-time force in the paint.