After a season with major success on the basketball court, there is one thing Illinois fans are going to wonder. Can Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini do it again?
The answer to that question is simple, and that is that it all depends on what Underwood does in the transfer portal. The Fighting Illini are losing their best player this offseason with Keaton Wagler now officially declaring for the NBA Draft and taking his talents to the next level.
Without Wagler on the court, Illinois is losing its top source of scoring for next season. Now, that doesn't mean Illinois is just out of contention for everything because there is one player in the transfer portal that could change everything for Underwood, and he has Illinois ties.
Brad Underwood must entice John Blackwell with Stefan Vaaks transfer to sweet the Illinois deal
John Blackwell, whose father, Glynn Blackwell, played for Illinois from 1984 to 1988, entered the transfer portal once it opened, planning to leave Wisconsin and find a new program. With the family ties, Illinois became an interesting favorite for his transfer, and now CBS Sports believes Blackwell could be the difference maker for the Fighting Illini, especially paired with another transfer.
Illinois already received a commitment from Stefan Vaaks out of the transfer portal from Providence, and the pair of him and Blackwell could make the Fighting Illini a scary team next season.
Per @CBSSportsCBB
— Dariush Takhtehchian, M.D (@takhtehchianmd) April 14, 2026
“Pairing Blackwell with Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks makes Illinois Final Four-capable once again under Brad Underwood”
this is one of the sells Brad Underwood likely made to JB yesterday in LA
His Dad is Team Illinois pic.twitter.com/TElZuxMFBu
Underwood could have a pair of scorers that could be dangerous for opposing teams next season, with Vaaks averaging 15.8 points in his freshman season with the Friars. and Blackwell averaged 19.1 points per game last season with Wisconsin.
While Underwood is having to battle other programs like UCLA for Blackwell's commitment, it seems his father is certainly pushing for Illinois, and hopefully, the family ties win out in this scenario.
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