Good Morning, Illini Nation: Still work to do
Apr. 27—Illinois has made several moves in the transfer portal this month. Adding Mercer forward Jake Davis, Louisville guard Tre White, Arizona guard Kylan Boswell and Notre Dame forward Carey Booth were important steps in building the 2024-25 roster. Especially with Dain Dainja (Memphis), Sencire Harris (West Virginia), Amani Hansberry (West Virginia) and Luke Goode (Indiana) transferring out, Coleman Hawkins moving on to the NBA Draft and Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier and Justin Harmon running out of eligibility.
But it's still an incomplete roster. Four strong additions. Not yet the big one. A replacement for Shannon, if you will.
That's reflected in the early projections for the 2024-25 season from Bart Torvik. His have this current version of Illinois at No. 63 nationally. That would be 15th in the new 18-team Big Ten.
It's a projection reflective only of the moment. The Illinois roster as it currently stands has holes. A big one, for certain, given there's no real go-to, No. 1 option just yet. The transfer portal perusal continues. Has to.
Here's where all 18 Big Ten teams stand right now, per Torvik:
6. Purdue
8. UCLA
16. Michigan State
17. Indiana
20. Nebraska
23. Rutgers
25. USC
29. Wisconsin
30. Northwestern
37. Maryland
39. Michigan
42. Ohio State
44. Oregon
54. Iowa
64. Minnesota
78. Penn State
80. Washington
