Illinois basketball is going through some massive changes to the roster thanks to the transfer portal.
The Illini have now lost four players to the transfer portal with the most recent being Luke Goode. He announced he was departing on Monday morning.
Goode's departure is a sad one because of what he gave the program. But we have to move on and try to fill the void left by the talented three-point shooter.
With Goode's departure comes a lineup change. I had him starting at the No. 2 guard spot before this news, and now there is a new starter at this position.
Here is the projected Illinois basketball lineup after Luke Goode entered the transfer portal
No. 1 Guard
Starter: Kylan Boswell (JR)
The transfer portal has been good and bad for the Illinois basketball team this offseason. On the good side of things, it brought us Kylan Boswell. He was once a top Illinois target coming out of high school, but the Illini had to wait two years to get him.
Boswell enters the Illinois program after spending two seasons with Arizona. In 2023-24, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game with a Wildcats team that went to the Sweet 16. He now brings his talent and experience to the Orange and Blue, where I believe Boswell will start the No. 1 guard spot next season.
Backup: Niccolo Moretti (SO)
I actually love what Illinois has at a couple of positions as of right now. Boswell should be a great leader in the traditional point guard role, and I am comfortable with Niccolo Moretti backing him up.
Moretti wasn’t seen much last season, as he played in just 18 games for the Illini. He was able to average 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in the limited minutes, but you could tell he has a ton of talent. Moretti has great handles, and he can help facilitate the offense. He is exactly what I want Illinois to have as the primary backup at the No. 1 spot.
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