Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: 15 teams that still need roster help after 2023 transfer portal deadline

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 17, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood stands on the court during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood stands on the court during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 15
Next
NCAA Basketball
NCAA Basketball Coleman Hawkins #33 of the Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /

Illinois Fighting Illini

It’s weird that a team that landed one of the better trio of players in the portal still needs some help but that’s the position that the Illini are in. So far, they’ve landed double-digit scoring wing Marcus Domask of Southern Illinois, along with guard Justin Harmon of Utah Valley. The recent pickup was Quincy Guerrier, a combo forward from Oregon.

Here’s the problem. Excluding those three, the only key returning piece on the roster is big man Dain Dainja. They do have a trio of guards coming back, including Ty Rodgers but they’ve lost a few players to the transfer portal and have two major NBA Draft decisions coming up with leading scorer Terrence Shannon and starting forward Coleman Hawkins.

If either player leaves, that’ll force Illinois to have to find players to replace him. But even if they both do come back, the program still needs to address a major need at point guard. The experiment with Jayden Epps and Skyy Clark didn’t work out and Shannon was forced to play out of position, with mediocre results.

The team is reportedly heavily in the mix for Toledo transfer and MAC Player of the Year Rayj Dennis. But other programs are also after him as well. If Illinois can’t get him as well as one of those draft prospects back, they could be doomed for at best, a mid-tier Big Ten finish.

Home/NCAA Basketball News