Illinois basketball early 2024 transfer portal wish list

Illinois basketball has two seasons going on right now, the regular basketball season and the transfer portal season.

The Illini are doing a great job in both seasons. We are in the Sweet 16 and climbing. Meanwhile, the Illinois coaching staff is putting out feelers and trying to lay the groundwork for another deep NCAA tournament run next season.

With the transfer portal being open, some big-time players are looking for a new home. Illinois has contacted some of these talented athletes, and I have an early wish list of players I want on the roster next season.

Here is my Illinois basketball early 2024 transfer portal wish list

1. Dante Maddox Jr. – Toledo Rockets

I believe the top option for Illinois basketball this early in the transfer portal proceedings is Dante Maddox Jr. This kid is extremely talented and could help us win a lot of games.

Coming out of Bloom High School in Illinois, Maddox was overlooked by many programs. He wasn’t rated or ranked, so he landed with Cal State Fullerton. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard spent two seasons with the Titans before transferring to Toledo in 2022.

Maddox played the last two seasons with the Rockets. He averaged 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in 2023-24.

On Tuesday, Luke Chaney of 247Sports reported a list of teams that have reached out to the recent transfer portal addition. Illinois was among the teams to have contacted Maddox.

Illinois needs guards who can score the basketball. Heading into next season, we are losing a lot of guard talent, and Maddox can help fill those voids.

I love Maddox’s numbers, but the one that stands out to me the most is the fact he took 5.6 three-point attempts per game and knocked them down at a clip of 40.2%. Illinois is losing five out of the top six players in three-point attempts from this season. Maddox would be a perfect option to replace those talented players.

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2. JP Pegues – Furman Paladins

I think there needs to be strong attention paid to the guard position heading into the 2024-25 season. Dante Maddox Jr. from Toledo would be a great option. I think JP Pegues would be another solid player for Illinois to snag.

Pegues was another overlooked player coming out of Hillsboro High School in Tennessee. He was rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 63 point guard in the class of 2021. He was also the No. 10 player coming out of Tennessee.

With very few scholarship opportunities, Pegues picked Furman as his landing spot. His career started slowly with the Paladins, but over the past two seasons, Pegues has started to blossom.

This past season, Pegues had his best season yet. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He is also a willing three-point shooter, as he took 7.6 three-point attempts per game and hit them at a clip of 36.2%.

According to Jamie Shaw of On3.com, quite a few teams have been in contact with Pegues about his services, and one of the programs that has inquired is Illinois.

The theme of Illinois needing more guards continues with Pegues. He is someone who could come into the Illinois program and start from day one. Pegues is a playmaker, and that is what we need. He can shoot the ball well, but he is also a distributor who can create for others.

I think Pegues would be a great option at the starting No. 1 guard spot. Niccolo Moretti will get more minutes next season, but having him as the primary backup getting 15-20 minutes each game would be something to think about.

3. Sincere Parker – Saint Louis Billikens

Not every transfer portal player who Illinois targets needs to be a superstar. I think getting good solid players who can help this program win games is extremely important. That is where I slot Sincere Parker.

Parker wasn’t looked at highly coming out of Compass Prep in Arizona. He wasn’t rated or ranked nationally, so he landed with Moberly Area Community College for his first year in the college ranks.

After one season with Moberly Area CC, Parker transferred out and landed with Saint Louis. He saw decent minutes in year one and was really poised for a great junior year before he was injured. Parker went down with a broken foot four games into the season. He ended up returning and playing from January 10 on, though.

Parker was a big-time scorer this past season. In 16 games, he ended up averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. He also attempted 3.8 three-pointers per game and hit them at a clip of 42.6%.

Numerous teams have been after Parker since he entered the transfer portal, and according to Joe Tipton of On3.com, Illinois is one of those programs.

I see Parker coming into the Illinois program and being a primary reserve. He could have the role of Justin Harmon from this season. I believe Parker would be a bigger playmaker and contributor, though. This kid has a lot of talent and could help the Illini greatly.

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.

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.

5. Xavier Amos – Northern Illinois Huskies

There are plenty of under-the-radar players who went to smaller schools and have proved they are high DI-caliber players. That is the case with Xavier Amos. He is someone who was completely overlooked but balled out with Northern Illinois.

Amos wasn’t rated or ranked coming out of Whitney Young High School in Illinois. He didn’t have much in the way of scholarship offers, but Northern Illinois came calling and he answered.

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward only played in eight games as a freshman, but he blossomed this past season. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game.

On Tuesday, The Portal Report listed off some big programs that were in contact with Amos after he entered the transfer portal. One of those teams was Illinois.

The fact that Amos is a Chicago kid has me intrigued. I always love pulling from the talent-rich area of Chicago. I think another aspect of Amos’ game that I love is the fact he is a long player who can shoot from three-point range.

Amos took 4.2 three-point attempts per game this past season and knocked them down at a clip of 38.5%. That is a great number. He stands at 6-foot-8 and can shoot that well from three-point range, which means he can stretch the floor. His man isn’t going to sag off and cover the paint. You have to be on Amos at all times.

Brad Underwood is always looking for big players who can shoot. That is what we want in the offense. Amos fits that bill, and I think he would be a great addition to the program.