4. Greg Gordon – Iona Gaels
A lot of talent is leaving the Illinois basketball program after this season, and the talent that is departing had decent size. The fact every Illinois starter is at least 6-foot-6 is incredible. We need to add some guard talent that has size as well.
I think that is where Greg Gordon could come into play. He is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound wing who is from Chicago, Illinois but played his high school basketball in Coral Springs, Florida. He wasn’t rated or ranked coming out of high school, so he landed with Dyersburg State Community College in Tennessee.
Gordon spent two years at Dyersburg State CC before transferring to Iona this past season. With the Gaels, he averaged 16.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 assists per game.
According to The Portal Report, Illinois is one of the many programs to show interest in the talented wing. Gordon could be an asset to this program, and the Illini coaching staff sees that opportunity.
Iona transfer Greg Gordon has received interest from the following programs, per source:
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) March 22, 2024
Gonzaga
Florida State
Arkansas
Mizzou
Georgia
Texas Tech
UCF
Memphis
Illinois
LSU
Wake Forest
Ole Miss
Boston College
North Texas
Florida
Cincinnati
NM State pic.twitter.com/quuV0P8hY8
Illinois has been getting to the rim a lot lately. While we want to shoot the three-point shot, the fact we can get to the rim and finish has helped propel the program to great heights. That is what I see Gordon doing for Illinois.
Gordon is more of a slasher rather than a perimeter shooter. He is someone who could help break a zone defense. I would put Gordon out at the No. 3 spot on the floor. While he won’t space well, he can break a defense down by having them collapse on him while he drives to the bucket. That would leave a wide-open three-point shooter.