The Illinois basketball coaching staff has done a great job juggling a deep season run and the transfer portal at the same time.
While the Illini attempt to make the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly 20 years, Brad Underwood and his coaching staff are also thinking about the future of the roster.
A lot of players will be departing after this season, leaving a lot of playing time to be had by the holdovers and newcomers this offseason. A potential newcomer for the Orange and Blue is Jake Davis.
Davis is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound freshman out of McCordsville, Indiana. He played his first season with Mercer in 2023-24, and now he has decided to hit the transfer portal after one year.
On Wednesday, it was reported by PDTScouting that Davis has heard from numerous programs regarding his potential landing spot. The list was expansive of the teams that had contacted the talented freshman, and one of those teams included Illinois.
Mercer Freshman Jake Davis has heard from a lot of good D1s since entering the portal@Jake_6davis
— PDT (@PDTScouting) March 20, 2024
Illinois
Butler
DePaul
Wyoming
Bradley
Richmond
George Washington
James Madison
Colgate
Lipscomb
UNCW
UNC Asheville
Winthrop
High Point
Furman
Chattanooga
Wofford
EKU
FGCU… pic.twitter.com/GjI6f8RJoF
Illinois basketball needs a solid wing-type player out of the transfer portal who can fill in for Marcus Domask
Davis’ numbers are impressive in just one season of college basketball. He averaged 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He also shot 41.9% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. This three-point percentage includes averaging 4.7 three-pointers per contest.
Illinois is going to be losing a lot of 6-foot-6 or taller players heading into next season. We need some size who can shoot the basketball. That is what Davis brings to the table. He is a better shooter from deep than someone like Marcus Domask, but he is less aggressive in the paint.
I think Davis would fit in well with what Underwood wants to do with the basketball. Davis moves around the court well, and he can knock down three-point attempts. I feel like that is exactly what Underwood wants in a player.
Adding Davis would be big for the program. He has plenty of time left in college, and he would give Illinois shooting, which is desperately needed heading into the future.