The transfer portal entry window is closed, and the Illinois basketball team is left looking strong as the dust settles.
Coming off a Final Four run just weeks ago, the Illini had to immediately go into offseason mode following the great run in the NCAA tournament. Brad Underwood has done a great job of holding the team together and picking up the pieces that fell off this train that is full steam ahead.
For the most part, Illinois has had a great offseason. There is one area that is incomplete, though.
Here are the Illinois basketball 2026 offseason grades so far
Freshman Additions: A+
I don’t think you can give Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff anything less than an A+ for the freshman additions this offseason.
It has been an impressive haul thus far, as 247Sports ranks Illinois’ class of 2026 No. 8 in the country when it comes to freshman talent.
The highlights of the recruiting class are Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo, both of whom will likely make a big impact on the team in 2026-27.
Coleman is a top 35 recruit in the country, and I have him pegged as a starter at the No. 2 spot for Illinois this upcoming season. He is someone who can light up the scoreboard.
Morillo is a guard who can play the No. 2 or No. 3 spots on the floor. He is a versatile player who has great size at 6-foot-7. Illinois is going to love this kid.
Overall, Illinois has signed five freshmen coming into the program. This is a nice young core who can all see minutes.
Retention: A-
Illinois could have easily been an A+ if it weren’t for our latest transfer portal departure. I was really hoping to see Brandon Lee play for Underwood, but he clearly didn’t fit the system.
No one in the world would have been able to keep Keaton Wagler in the college ranks. That is the only player who could have come back who will hurt the Illini.
So, for the offseason, Illinois lost Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic, Ty Rodgers, Wagler, and Lee. The only one that is disappointing is Lee, and none of them shock me.
My guess is that most of those transfer players will transfer again after next season. The pastures aren’t always greener. But for Illinois, there wasn’t one player departure besides Wagler who will hurt the Orange and Blue in 2026-27.
Transfer Portal Additions: A-
There have been quite a few players for whom Illinois has been rumored to be in the running this offseason. While we didn’t land most of them, I am happy with who we did get.
Stefan Vaaks is a top 10 transfer portal player. He was a great addition, and he is just going to be a sophomore next season.
Underwood formed Wagler into a 6-foot-6 guard who can shoot and distribute. I think he can do the same thing with Vaaks. I have him coming in and starting at the No. 1 guard spot. He was a massive addition for the Illini.
There are a few other areas Illinois could have addressed in the transfer portal, but we didn’t do that. Something tells me Underwood isn’t done adding this offseason, though.
Overseas Additions: Incomplete
Over the past couple of seasons, the Illinois basketball team has quickly become known as the team that lands overseas players, especially in the Balkans.
Illinois hasn’t jumped into that pool just yet this offseason, though. It is only April. There is plenty of time for the Illini to pull in a couple of players from that region of the world, and I am sure the Illinois coaching staff already has their targets.
For now, though, I am going to mark this section as incomplete. Let’s wait to see what talent Illinois can pull in to help bolster the roster a little bit for 2026-27.
Coaching Retention: A+
I don’t think you can get any better than retaining all coaches from a Final Four run. Illinois, so far, hasn’t lost a single coach to being poached.
Every Illinois coach has their fingerprints on the Illinois roster, too. Tyler Underwood is great at designing the Illini offense. Orlando Antigua is a master recruiter overseas. Geoff Alexander is a great all-around recruiter. And Cam Crocker had Illinois’ defense humming.
Everyone is back for next season so far. Retaining all of these coaches is so key for the future. If one leaves, it could hurt the team greatly.
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