It took 21 years from Illinois’s last Final Four appearance for the Illini to finally get back in 2026, and after their loss to UConn on Saturday, Brad Underwood vowed not to let another drought drag out that long. Making good on that promise starts, not with a trip to the Balkans, though those are sure to come, but with a trip into the Transfer Portal.
The portal window opened on Tuesday, and quickly, Illinois positioned itself as one of the favorites for star Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell. The talented lead guard has also been targeted by Michigan, Duke, and Kentucky, among others, but the Illini appear to be in a good spot to land him.
If they do, there is a real chance that the Illini enter next season as the No. 1 team in the country. Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell are difficult to replace, but with Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, and the Ivisic twins all expected to return, Blackwell would slide in seamlessly, and Underwood may enter the season with Final Four-or-bust expectations.
John Blackwell is the perfect addition for Illinois
Blackwell isn’t a true point guard, but with a 13.4 percent assist rate, he has real playmaking chops to cover significant chunks of the game as an on-ball lead guard. However, he’s also a 40 percent three-point shooter who is comfortable spotting up or shooting off movement.
He’d comfortably stick next to Stojakovic in the backcourt of a supersized lineup, can split initiating responsibilities with exciting freshman Quentin Coleman, or slide to the wing with Mihailo Petrovic running the point.
He may not be able to run ball-screen after ball-screen in crunch time as Wagler did for the Illini, but he has the positional size Underwood is after, is a capable defender, and the ideal complement to Stojakovic. Illinois couldn’t dream up a better fit for its roster.
Illinois’s projected lineup if John Blackwell comes to Champaign
- PG: Mihailo Petrovic, So.
- SG: John Blackwell, Sr.
- SF: Andrej Stojakovic, Sr.
- PF: David Mirkovic, So.
- C: Tomislav Ivisic, Sr.
BENCH rotation:
- G/F: Jake Davis, Sr.
- C: Zvonimir Ivisic, Sr.
- G: Quentin Coleman, Fr.
Illinois has more depth on the roster, but that’d be the likely eight-man rotation if Blackwell is the only transfer pickup, and it’s a good one. It has the versatility to go big and small, with a mix of experienced veterans and freshmen upside. Underwood wants a big lineup with shooting everywhere; this accomplishes that and then some.