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Brad Underwood eyes Kylan Boswell 2.0 for Illinois basketball in the transfer portal

It is going to be an interesting transfer portal for the Illinois basketball program, and Brad Underwood already has his eyes set on a potential replacement for Kylan Boswell
ByRees Woodcock|
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Nov 14, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with Kylan Boswell (4) during the first half against the Colgate Raiders at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 14, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with Kylan Boswell (4) during the first half against the Colgate Raiders at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The transfer portal is about to get crazy for the Illinois basketball program, and I am here for every second of it.

When the transfer portal first started, I wasn’t a huge fan because I wasn’t sure how the Illini would navigate it all. Brad Underwood has shown us in the past few seasons that he can not only embrace the transfer portal but also help Illinois thrive in the college landscape.

For the last two seasons, Illini fans got to see Kylan Boswell suit up for his hometown team. He was a nasty point guard who could get to the rim and was a lockdown defender. Boswell is departing, but it seems that Illinois is now looking at Boswell 2.0.

On Wednesday, Tobias Bass of The Athletic reported on social media that Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis has heard from a plethora of programs. One of the names on the list was indeed Illinois.

Coming out of Texas in 2023, Lewis was a four-star recruit. Much like Boswell, he too committed and played two seasons for Arizona. After his second campaign with the Wildcats, Lewis bolted for Georgetown.

Lewis is sure to have plenty of suitors when it comes to the transfer portal. I see St. John’s floated around already. I would imagine Illinois gets at least a look from the guard, though. He saw what Boswell did in Underwood’s system, and how other Illini guards have flourished.

The similarities between KJ Lewis and Illinois guard Kylan Boswell make this an intriguing option

What is crazy about Lewis and Boswell, besides both playing for Arizona for two seasons and then bolting, is how close the numbers are for both guards this past season.

Boswell averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Lewis was right there, as he put up 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

Neither is a great shooter, either. Boswell and Lewis both attempted 3.8 three-pointers per game, and Boswell hit his at 30.7%, while Lewis was at 30.5%.

Boswell and Lewis both were about average from the free throw line. Boswell hit 78.1% from the charity stripe, while Lewis came in at 75.2%.

What is great about Lewis is his defense. We all knew that when Boswell was active, he was a key defender for the Illini. He only averaged 0.7 steals per game, though. If Lewis picked Illinois, he would enter averaging 2.1 steals per game from last season. Lewis had a 3.5 defensive box plus-minus, while Boswell checked in at 3.1.

At the end of the day, I like this option for Illinois. Lewis isn’t a great shooter, but he is a bulldog on the court. He has a better size at 6-foot-4 than Boswell. Lewis is a chaos creator, and I am here for it.

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