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Projected Illinois basketball lineup after Niccolo Moretti enters the transfer portal

The transfer portal struck again with Niccolo Moretti departing. This departure now changes the Illinois basketball lineup.

By Rees Woodcock

Illinois v Wisconsin
Illinois v Wisconsin / John Fisher/GettyImages
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No. 3 Guard

Starter: Tre White (JR)

I still believe that if the season started today, Tre White would be the starter at the No. 3 spot. He is a true wing who can do a lot for the Illini on the court. White fits exactly what Brad Underwood needs at this position.

White comes from Louisville and USC. He started his career with the Trojans and averaged 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. After his freshman season, he transferred to play for Louisville. With the Cardinals, White averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He is now with Illinois for his junior season, and he isn’t going to ride the pine. I imagine White gets close to 30 minutes per game for the Orange and Blue.

Backup: Jake Davis (SO)

When it is all said and done, I could see Jake Davis being one of the steals of the transfer portal season in 2024. He is a player who intrigues me greatly, and I think Illinois is going to get a huge boost with him coming off the bench.

Davis was a great find for the Illini. He played his freshman season with Mercer where he averaged 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He also knocked down 38.7% from three-point range. I think Davis will give the Illinois second unit a massive scoring threat. Look for him to come in for the No. 2 or No. 3 spots throughout the season.