Top 5 most impactful Illinois basketball newcomers for the 2024-25 season

No. 2 Kylan Boswell

Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to land the player you want. Illinois went after Kylan Boswell a few years back, but Arizona ended up snagging him. Now, Boswell is back in Champaign after spending two seasons with the Wildcats.

Boswell played well with Arizona. Last season, he averaged 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. I fully expect those numbers to take a jump with Illinois. We are going to need him as one of the two main backcourt players.

I have Boswell coming in and starting from day one. There is zero question that he is a starter. The only question is whether or not Boswell will be an All-American.

Biggest Role: Conductor

I have Boswell at No. 2 on this list for many reasons, but the biggest reason is the main role I believe he will play at Illinois. I have him as the “Conductor.”

There are a lot of pieces to an orchestra, and they don’t work well together without the conductor bringing them together and making beautiful music. That is what Boswell will do for this program.

Illinois only returns two scholarship players from the Elite 8 roster, which means we have 10 newcomers. That is tough early on in the season because they haven’t played together. Without a great guard who can help distribute and get the team in the offense, Illinois would struggle. I think Boswell helps Illinois through the struggles, especially early on in the season. That is why he is so important to this team.