Top 10 greatest Illinois basketball transfer portal additions of all time

5. Marcus Griffin

Peoria Manual was a special high school for the Illinois basketball team in the 1990s. Some big names came out of this program. One of the best players to ever don an Illinois jersey from Peoria Manual was Marcus Griffin.

Griffin had to make a stop in the junior college ranks before coming to Illinois, though. He played for Lincoln College in Illinois before transferring over to Illinois for his final two seasons of college basketball.

The year before Griffin got to Champaign, the Illini won 14 games. In year one, the team put up 22 wins and got to the Round of 32. Griffin averaged 10.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game that season.

This was only the beginning of things to come, though. Illinois was building one of the best teams we have ever seen. The following season, the Illini won 27 games and entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed.

Illinois was able to get to the Elite 8 that year and fell just short to No. 2 Arizona. Griffin was a huge part of that Elite 8 run, averaging 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 assists per game.

Griffin made a huge impact on the Illini after transferring in from the junior college ranks. Without him, this program wouldn’t have achieved great heights. He was a monster for the Orange and Blue, and that is why he is the No. 5 transfer portal addition of all time.