7. Demetrius Jackson
The mid-2010s were another rough patch for the Orange and Blue. We weren’t an awful squad, but this program couldn’t get over the hump. A player like Demetrius Jackson would have been a tremendous get and someone who would have elevated the program.
Jackson was a 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard who was rated as a four-star recruit. He was a top 40 player in the country, and Illinois needed some backcourt help. The recruitment came down to just the Illini and Irish, and the talented point guard ended up staying home and committing to Notre Dame.
This commitment would have been huge for Illinois. During the John Groce era, he always had trouble finding a good big man and point guard. Tracy Abrams was solid, but he got hurt. Adding Jackson would have solved some serious issues and probably gotten Groce into the NCAA tournament.
Jackson went on to have a good career at Notre Dame. In his final season, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Just imagine that on the Illinois roster during those tough times.