Illinois Basketball: Big-time scorer in the transfer portal picks Illini

Illinois basketball just landed one of the best players available in the transfer portal.

Coming into Monday, it had been a pretty rough road for the Illini when it came to the transfer portal. We had already lost three scholarship players this offseason, and the lone incoming transfer isn’t likely to be a big-time impact guy.

But, on Monday afternoon, the Illini struck gold. Marcus Domask took to social media to announce that he is ending his recruitment and committing to Illinois. This is one of the best gets in the transfer portal and a player who will help the team immediately.

Landing Marcus Domask out of the transfer portal gives the Illinois basketball program a shot in the arm

Coming out of Waupun Area High School in Wisconsin, Domask wasn’t a highly-rated recruit. He was a three-star player who was ranked as the No. 103 forward in the class of 2019.

Domask would land with Southern Illinois for his collegiate career. From the jump, he was an impactful player for the Salukis as well.

This past season, Domask would have his best year with Southern Illinois, as he averaged 16.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest. For his career, he would finish averaging 15.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

I am also intrigued by Domask’s shooting ability. He is efficient from the free throw line at 84.3% for his career, and Domask can also knock down shots from long range. He is a career 35.9% shooter from behind the three-point arc.

Illinois lost a lot of scoring talent this offseason. We needed to reload with someone who can get buckets and be a productive player for the team. I am excited about the fact Domask can do a little bit of everything on the court. This was a great addition to the program.