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.
2. Jalen Cook
With the departure of Jayden Epps, Illinois needs more scoring talent in the backcourt. We need players who can handle the ball and also be a danger on the perimeter.
Jalen Cook could be a great option to fill this void. He just finished up his sophomore campaign – the third season in college – with Tulane and is now in the transfer portal. Cook is a 6-foot, 205-pound, point guard who still has two years of eligibility remaining.
When Cook was coming out of Walker High School in Louisiana, he wasn’t a highly rated recruit. He was just a three-star talent who was ranked as the No. 166 player in the class of 2020. But Cook would catch the eye of LSU and he would commit.
Cook spent one season with the Tigers and only played 7.5 minutes per game. After that year, he bolted the program and ended up with Tulane. He would spend two seasons with the Green Wave, and in his final year, he would average 19.9 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.
There has already been contact between Illinois and Cook. His long list of potential suitors was released a few days back. As of right now, On3.com has him landing back with LSU. Again, I am not sure if this is a solid prediction because it is hard to see a player transfer from a program and then come back to that program.
Illinois needs someone like Cook. He could come into the program and start from day one at the No. 1 spot. With Epps gone, this leaves a huge void. Cook would not only fill that void, but he would be an upgrade from what we had with Epps.
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.
4. Dalton Knecht
I think every Illini fan can agree that we need more scoring. Illinois can’t go into next season with the scoring we have on the roster. We need someone who can put up some big-time numbers.
A great option would be Dalton Knecht. He is a 6-foot-6, 200-pound, graduate transfer from Northern Colorado. Knecht is looking to make a name for himself with a big program, and Illinois would be a great landing spot.
Knecht was an unknown recruit coming out of Prairie View High School in Colorado. He wasn’t rated or ranked, so he would land at the junior college level. After two years at Northeastern Junior College, Knecht would take his talents to Northern Colorado.
This past season, Knecht would break out. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Bears. His most impressive stat is the fact he took 6.3 three-pointers per game and made them at a clip of 38.1%.
Illinois has already contacted Knecht about coming to Champaign. He would be a great fit for the program, and On3.com doesn’t have a projected landing spot for the talented wing just yet.
Knecht would come into the Illinois program and start from day one. I know this sounds weird, but I would probably slot him in at the No. 4 spot. We would give up a little size, but Knecht can clearly rebound, so this wouldn’t be a problem. Illinois would be a dangerous team with Knecht in the lineup.
5. Jamison Battle
This one might be more of a stretch, but Illinois could always use more size that can shoot the basketball. There is a great option out there who played against the Illini for a couple of seasons.
Jamison Battle has entered the transfer portal. He is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound, forward who spent the last couple of seasons with Minnesota and is looking for a new home to spend his final season of college basketball.
Battle wasn’t a highly-rated recruit coming out of De La Salle High School in Minnesota, though. He wasn’t rated or ranked, so he would end up with George Washington. After two productive years with the Colonials, Battle transferred back home to play for the Golden Gophers.
Two years ago was Battle’s best season with Minnesota. He would average 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 36.6% from three-point range. The team was a mess this past season, so he didn’t perform nearly as well.
Now that Battle is back in the transfer portal, Illinois has been in contact with the talented forward. There have been numerous teams that have already contacted him as well. On3.com has Indiana as the projected landing spot for Battle.
Illinois could use someone like Battle on the roster. I would have him starting at the No. 4 spot next season. He could pull the opposing defender out to the three-point arc, and this would open up the lane for Illini guards to drive to the hoop. I would love to see Battle with Illinois next season.