Top 10 greatest Illinois basketball transfer portal additions of all time

7. Craig Tucker

Illinois basketball’s resurgence came when Lou Henson took over the program in the late 1970s. He brought in some great players, and one was junior college talent, Craig Tucker.

Tucker started out at Coffeyville Community College where he dominated. He averaged 23.9 points per game during his career, and his incredible scoring ability sparked the interest of the Illini. Tucker would transfer out and commit to Illinois after his sophomore campaign.

While with the Illini, Tucker helped the program get to the NCAA tournament. We were the No. 4 seed in 1981 and advanced to the second round. That season, he averaged 10.7 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game.

The following season, while only winning 18 games, Tucker managed to put up his best numbers, averaging 15.5 points, 2.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Despite missing the postseason, he was able to help turn around a struggling program.

Tucker was a huge part of why Illinois was able to break a 17-year postseason drought. Before his presence, the last time the Illini had made the NCAA tournament was back in 1963. Tucker’s great numbers and his presence in rebuilding Illinois basketball is why he ranks No. 7 on the all-time transfers list.