Illinois basketball could be on the verge of landing another transfer portal player this offseason.
The start of the transfer portal season was brutal for the Illini. The first departure was one of our young star guards. He is now with Georgetown. We then lost a backup big man who is with Illinois State. Lastly, one of our wing players decided to bolt the program for Georgia.
Brad Underwood was able to quickly pick up the pieces, though. Illinois scooped up Utah Valley transfer Justin Harmon. He is a guard who plays like he is angry at the basketball. Marcus Domask was a solid addition from Southern Illinois. Domask can play the wing and can hit shots from deep.
The most recent addition to the program was Quincy Guerrier. He is a 6-foot-8 forward who can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting ability. Look for Guerrier to start from day one and be dominant for the Orange and Blue.
Illinois might not be finished with those three newcomers, though. Over the past week, RayJ Dennis entered the transfer portal, and the Illini have been interested. The Toledo point guard wants to find a new home, and Champaign might be his landing spot.
If I decide not to stay in the NBA Draft I have entered my name into the transfer portal. Psalm 23:4
— RayJ Dennis (@rayjdennis10) April 26, 2023
Illinois basketball seems to be the favorite to land RayJ Dennis out of the transfer portal
The Illini showed immediate interest in Dennis as soon as he decided to leave Toledo. That interest has built up, and now it looks like Illinois is the favorite to land the talented point guard. On Wednesday, a prediction from 247Sports was submitted that has Dennis landing with the Illini
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Illinois end up with Dennis on the roster. We have a strong location factor, as he graduated from Oswego East High School in Illinois.
Since his time in the high school ranks, Dennis has improved his game. He committed to Boise State and played with the Broncos for two seasons. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in his final year there while shooting 29.1% from three-point range.
Dennis then decided to hit the transfer portal and commit to Toledo. Dennis would average 19.5 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per contest this past season with the Rockets. He also knocked down an impressive 36.6% of his three-pointers.
If Illinois was able to secure Dennis, it would be huge for the program. The biggest weakness right now is at the No. 1 guard spot. Dennis would solve all of those issues. If he picks the Illini, this program instantly becomes a threat to win the Big Ten.