Top 10 Illinois basketball transfers of all time

The transfer portal has helped the Illinois basketball program a lot over the decades with some of the incoming transfers playing some big minutes.

By Rees Woodcock | Feb 28, 2024, 7:38 AM CST

Dec 6, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) reacts after scoring and drawing a foul against the Texas Longhorns during overtime at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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No. 2 Ken Norman

The best numbers you will see on this list come from Ken Norman. The 6-foot-8 forward was a monster for the Illini, and his numbers show why he is one of the best transfers to come to Illinois.

While Norman would put up some impressive numbers in Champaign, his first stop wasn’t at Illinois. He would suit up for Wabash Valley College in Illinois. With the Warriors, Norman would average 20.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. These great numbers got the attention of some pretty big programs including Illinois.

Lou Henson saw the potential Norman had and would pounce. Illinois would end up landing the talented forward, and he wouldn’t disappoint.

During his senior season with the Illini, Norman would average 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest. These are the best numbers from any Illinois transfer. He also helped the program win some games.

Illinois was a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament in all three seasons Norman was in Champaign. We also made it to the Sweet 16 in one of those campaigns.

If Illinois would have seen more postseason success, then there would have been a case to put Norman at No. 1 on this list. He put up some great numbers and was a special player for this program. He is the No. 2 transfer in Illinois history.

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