The transfer portal is heating up, and the Illinois basketball team is going to be involved with a lot of talent.
Brad Underwood has embraced the transfer portal since it became a thing a few years back. He is aggressive in getting the talent he wants on the Illini roster. Sometimes he misses and sometimes he hits. But Illinois will be in the mix for numerous players.
There are a few positions that I want Illinois to focus on in the transfer portal. These spots will help get the Illini back into the postseason and potentially get to that elusive national championship.
Here are the top three areas for the Illinois basketball to address in the transfer portal
1. Sharpshooting guard
The top priority for the Illinois basketball team should be getting a starting-caliber shooting guard into the program.
I believe, regardless of who departs Illinois, this should be the top priority. It was the biggest flaw we had this season, and it needs to the be the top thing Brad Underwood is focusing on in the transfer portal.
Illinois doesn’t just need a solid shooting guard either. We need someone who can come in and start from day one. It was one of the worst three-point shooting Illinois teams I have ever seen. The best shooter from distance was our 7-foot-1 big man, Tomislav Ivisic. He shot 35.7% from three-point range.
The Illini starting backcourt shot 31.8%, 24.5%, and 32.9% from three-point range. Combined, they were 112-of-383, which comes out to 29.2%. The fact that we got to the second round of the NCAA tournament shooting like that is nothing short of a miracle. Illinois needs at least one starting shooter.
2. Backup center
I think there is a chance that Illinois gets back both Tomislav Ivisic and Morez Johnson Jr. That would be optimal, but even if that is the case, I think the Illini need to go get a solid backup center.
Illinois should start both Ivisic and Johnson in the frontcourt. They both bring something different to the table, so I think they are perfect working together. But Ivisic is going to need some rest, and he can get into foul trouble.
The backup to Ivisic next season would likely be Jason Jakstys. Honestly, I am not confident in what we have with Jakstys. He hasn’t played for Illinois, and coming out of high school, he was a three-star recruit who couldn’t crack the top 100.
With that being said, if Illinois has the available space, going out and getting a nice backup center would be optimal. This player doesn’t need to be able to shoot from three-point range, but if he can, that would be great. But I want someone who can come into the game for 12-16 minutes each night and gives us solid play and great rebounding.
3. Athletic wing
Brad Underwood likes positionless players. He always wants players who can run the court well and do a little bit of everything for Illinois. That is why I think the third target for the Illini should be another athletic wing.
Tre White is going to be the starter out at the No. 3 spot, but Illinois needs another player like him to help at this position. We need someone like a Quincy Guerrier who can go up and sky for rebounds and knock down a shot every once in a while.
My thought for this transfer portal player is that they can play the No. 3 or, if Illinois wants to go smaller, the No. 4 spot too. Illinois needs more athletic talent, and that is what I want to see coming out of the transfer portal.