It has been the story for the Illinois basketball team over the past year or so. The transfer portal.
The Illini lost nearly all of the roster from the Elite 8 run in March 2024. Brad Underwood even lost an assistant coach. But without missing a beat, Underwood went to work and replaced that assistant coach. He and his team then went out and put together the team we are watching today.
Underwood doesn’t get enough credit for that, but I digress.
It has been a joy, at times, to watch Illinois. Sure, we went through that tough stretch, but this team has come out on the other end maybe even stronger than what we saw earlier this season. The same can’t be said for the players who transferred out of the program, though.
Illinois had so many departures after last season. Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier, and Justin Harmon all aged out. Shannon is currently rising in the NBA while the other three are dabbling in the G-League.
And then you have the transfers. Boy howdy, there were a lot of transfers. While transferring out and getting the bag might sound like a good move, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Illinois basketball transfers and how they fared during the 2024-25 season
Coleman Hawkins – Kansas State Wildcats
- Record: 16-17 overall, 9-11 Big 12
- Stats: 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks, 40.1% FG, 30.3% 3PT
I always thought, and had for two years, that Illinois was going to lose Coleman Hawkins. I didn’t think it was going to be in the transfer portal, though.
Hawkins transferred out and landed with Kansas State. The Wildcats were forming what should have been a good team, as they also landed some other solid transfers. That didn’t end up being the case, though.
Kansas State finished under .500 at 16-17 overall. They did get to the second round of the Big 12 Tournament but were beaten by Baylor 70-56. Hawkins put up okay numbers of 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. His three-point shooting dropped from 36.9% to 30.3% year-over-year, and he shot his lowest percentage from the field since his freshman season in 2020-21.
Dain Dainja – Memphis Tigers
- Record: 26-5 overall, 16-2 American
- Stats: 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, 61.3% FG, 63.7% FT
I am glad at least one Illinois transfer is doing some winning out there. Dain Dainja transferred out of the program and landed with Memphis. He is putting up big numbers too, and honestly, you could tell Dainja had big numbers in him when he was at Illinois.
Memphis has played well this season. They are 26-5 overall and 16-2 in the American. I would say their record is so good because they beat lousy teams in their conference, but the Tigers held their own in the non-conference as well.
Dainja led Memphis with 7.0 rebounds per game. He is also third on the team with 13.7 points. His 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game were all career highs. While his 61.3% from the field is a 5.6% drop from his time at Illinois last season, Dainja did shoot 16% better from the free throw line.
Luke Goode – Indiana Hoosiers
- Record: 19-13 overall, 10-10 Big Ten
- Stats: 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 41.4% FG, 39.2% 3PT
It was so painful watching Luke Goode leave Illinois. It was even more painful to see him go to the one team I didn’t want him to go to. Even though Goode ended up at Indiana, I still wanted to see him, and him alone, succeed on the court.
Indiana was a bit of a dumpster fire this season. At one time, they were 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Illinois then went into Bloomington and had the fans chanting, “Fire Mike Woodson.” Woodson is now stepping down. The Hoosiers finished in ugly fashion on Thursday in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament. Needing a win to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament, the Hoosiers fell short against Oregon.
It was a painful loss for Goode too, as the former Illini was 0-of-5 from the field and scored just one point. Overall, he did have a good season, though. Goode averaged a career-high 9.1 points per game and shot nearly 40% from three-point range.
Amani Hansberry & Sencire Harris – West Virginia Mountaineers
- Record: 19-13 overall, 10-10 Big 12
- Stats: Hansberry – 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 42.9% FG, 29.2% 3PT
- Stats: Harris – 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.6 assists, 39.7% FG, 11.3% 3PT
When assistant coach Chester Frazier departed for West Virginia, he took both Amani Hansberry and Sencire Harris with him. The result? An up and down season bigger than what Illinois went through.
At one time, the Mountaineers were 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 with wins over Gonzaga, Arizona, and Kansas. That is when they hit the brakes. From that point on, West Virginia would go 8-11. They entered the Big 12 Tournament needing a win, but they couldn’t get past Colorado. Now they are a projected No. 11 seed, but I don’t think an NCAA tournament berth is a guarantee.
Hansberry finally got a chance to blossom, and he played okay. He started 24 games for West Virginia and averaged 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. His shooting numbers did drop slightly year-over-year, though.
Harris, after sitting out last season at Illinois, suited up this year for the Mountaineers. His numbers took a slight bump up too, but he also nearly doubled his minutes. In 26.9 minutes per game, Harris averaged 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.6 assists per contest. His shooting numbers did drop, as Harris went from 43% to 39.7% from the field and 31.7% to 11.3% from three-point range.
Niccolo Moretti – Florida Atlantic Owls
- Record: 18-14 overall, 10-8 American
- Stats: 6.7 points, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 44.0% FG, 36.9% 3PT
Illinois lost a nice depth piece this past season when Niccolo Moretti decided to transfer out of the program. Honestly, it does seem like he is the forgotten transfer, as there were so many big names. But Moretti is having a pretty good season.
Florida Atlantic was Moretti’s landing spot. The Owls didn’t have a great season, but they are trying to be a Cinderella in the American Conference Tournament. Florida Atlantic has won their first two games and will take on Tulane on Friday.
This is the first season Moretti has had a chance to play big minutes, and he hasn’t disappointed. The guard is averaging 6.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 44.0% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range. Moretti takes care of the ball too, as he only averages 1.3 turnovers per contest.