Dante Maddox Jr. continues to lead Illinois basketball transfer portal wish list

Carey Booth – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Illinois needs some size and depth in the paint, and I believe the right man for the job is Carey Booth. While he isn’t terribly polished, this kid is exactly what I am looking for in the paint.

Booth is a 6-foot-10, 203-pound forward from Englewood, Colorado. He was a member of the class of 2023, so last season was his first year in college basketball. The former top-60 recruit ended up picking Notre Dame as his landing spot.

In the lone season with the Irish, Booth averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He only logged 19.9 minutes per night, but Booth put up good numbers. On April 1, Booth decided that South Bend wasn’t the place to be anymore, and he entered the transfer portal.

Numerous teams have been vying for Booth’s services, and Illinois seems like one of the top options right now. He was on campus just days ago checking out what the Illini had to offer.

Illinois has Morez Johnson Jr. coming in at the No. 5 spot. Amani Hansberry is already on the roster, and he is someone who can play either the No. 4 or No. 5 spot. We also have Ty Rodgers who is likely to be in the frontcourt more often. When you mix in Booth’s athletic ability and length, the Illini would have one of the nastiest frontcourts in the country.

I think the Illini have a legitimate shot at winning this recruitment. Booth is a good player who could develop into a great one. Hopefully, we come away with a victory in the transfer portal.