Amani Hansberry deals blow to Illinois basketball frontcourt, enters transfer portal

Another big domino has fallen for the Illinois basketball team, as a big man is now in the transfer portal.

Entering Tuesday, the Illini had lost two players – Dain Dainja and Sencire Harris – to the transfer portal. These two players are going to be roster-impactful losses. But thankfully, Brad Underwood has been able to replace them with the likes of Tre White, Jake Davis, and Kylan Boswell.

Underwood is now going to have to deal with another transfer portal departure, though. On Tuesday, Illini big man Amani Hansberry took to social media to announce that he was also entering the transfer portal.

Coming out of Mount Saint Joseph High School in Maryland, Hansberry was a highly recruited player. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward was a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 61 player in the class of 2023. He was also the No. 14 power forward in the nation and the best player coming out of Maryland.

Hansberry picked Illinois over teams like Miami (FL), Virginia Tech, and Penn State. In the lone season Hansberry was with the Orange and Blue, he averaged 7.5 minutes per game and averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds each night.

Chester Frazier leaving the Illinois basketball program has affected us in the transfer portal

I am going to miss Hansberry. In my opinion, this kid had a ton of potential and is someone who could average a double-double in the near future. His three-point shooting was on the rise too.

At the end of the day, I think Chester Frazier leaving the coaching staff has affected Illinois greatly. He is now with West Virginia, and I believe Harris is going to be a part of that Mountaineers squad. Look for Hansberry to join him as well.

Frazier is from Maryland, and he was the main recruiter for Hansberry. The fact that Hansberry is departing isn’t a shock at all.

Illinois needed frontcourt depth when Hansberry was on the roster, and now I believe the need for more frontcourt help has become urgent. There are plenty of options in the transfer portal, though.