Illinois basketball snags double-digit scoring wing in the transfer portal

Illinois basketball is now ahead in the transfer portal after we landed a solid depth piece on Tuesday night.

Coming into Tuesday, the Illini were even in the transfer portal. We lost big man Dain Dainja to Memphis, but Illinois landed talented wing shooter Jake Davis out of Mercer. This was a solid start to a chaotic period in the recruiting calendar.

The Illini needed more depth, though. On Tuesday night, we got the answer, as Tre White decided to announce he was transferring to Illinois.

Coming out of Prolific Prep in California, White was the No. 35 player in the class of 2022. He was also the No. 11 small forward in the country and the No. 4 player coming out of California. Numerous programs, including Illinois, were vying for the kid, but he ended up picking USC as his landing spot.

White started 29 games for the Trojans in 2022-23 and averaged 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He then entered the transfer portal and landed with Louisville. Last season with the Cardinals, White averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

After his coach was let go at Louisville, White reentered the transfer portal and now he has landed in Champaign to help the Illini get back to at least the Elite 8.

Brad Underwood is looking to continue the great size for the Illinois basketball program through the transfer portal

This past season was fun to watch, as the Illini won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the Elite 8. The team was very unique with every starter measuring at least 6-foot-6.

Illinois is losing a lot of that size, though. Terrence Shannon Jr., Quincy Guerrier, Coleman Hawkins, and likely Marcus Domask are all gone from the starting lineup. Illinois also lost Dainja. All five of those players measure at least 6-foot-6.

So, adding a player like White, who is 6-foot-7 and plays more of a guard role, will help fill that size void. He is someone who can give opponents trouble on the defensive end of the court, and he can get downhill going to the rim. White should do a little bit of everything for this Illinois basketball team.