No. 3 Guard
Starter: Tre White (SR)
Illinois’ offseason in 2024 was insane. Not only did we bring in a great freshman class, but our transfer portal group was also mind-blowing. Tre White was a part of this transfer class that is suiting up this season.
White played his first two years with USC and Louisville. He was solid with those two teams, and he now transfers into the Illinois program looking to reach great heights. I don’t think White transfers to Illinois without the promise of a starting job. So, I think for the next two seasons, White is going to be the starter at the No. 3 spot. He is a good slasher who can get to the rim and score. Let’s see him get the opposing defense on their heels.
Backup: Jake Davis (JR)
A lot of players are getting the most shine from Illinois’ great offseason in 2024. There were big-time freshmen and transfer portal players who entered the program. One player who isn’t getting a ton of mention is Jake Davis.
Davis is entering the Illinois basketball program after one season at Mercer. He is a nice big body who can shoot from three-point range. I see Davis playing decent minutes in 2024-25, and by the time the 2025-26 season rolls around, he should be one of the first players off the bench giving Illinois 20 or more minutes per game. I see Davis as the primary backup at the No. 3 spot with the ability to play multiple positions.