Who's left worth pursuing in the portal?
May 25—What player might Illinois use one of its remaining scholarships on for next
season? Beat writer Scott Richey has five who could fit in with the Illini:
Cam Christie — MinnesotaChristie went into the transfer portal with a "do-not-contact" tag. In most cases, that means he already knows where he wants to land. For Christie, that would be squarely in the NBA draft. The former N-G All-State First Team selection averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Gophers this past season, but it's his size (6-foot-6) and shooting (39 percent from three) that's generated draft buzz and would fill a need in C-U if the Rolling Meadows native withdrew.
Wooga Poplar — MiamiPoplar checks several boxes when it comes to what Illinois coach Brad Underwood values. The Philadelphia native is a big guard at 6-5, has played for a winner given he helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four in 2023 and was productive doing so. Poplar started all 29 games he played this past season for Miami and averaged career highs of 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists as he took on a bigger role in Coral Gables, Fla.
Mike Sharavjamts — San Francisco"Mongolian Mike" has Illinois in his final three along with Saint Mary's and Utah. The 6-8 guard was the first Mongolian citizen to earn a Division I scholarship and played his freshman season at Dayton before transferring for the first time last offseason. Sharavjamts, who was a high school teammate of Coleman Hawkins at Prolific Prep (Calif.) in the 2019-20 season, averaged 7.7 points, three rebounds and 2.7 assists this past season for the Dons.
Jamir Watkins — Florida StateWatkins entered the transfer portal in the wake of declaring for the 2024 NBA draft. The 6-7 forward participated earlier this month in the draft combine in Chicago, but isn't projected to be drafted. Watkins, who started his college career with three years (two seasons on the court) at VCU, led Florida State in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 15.6 points, six rebounds and 2.8 assists. His 46/34/80 shooting slash marked career highs across the board.
Jaylen Wells — Washington StateIllinois already landed one transfer who jumped up multiple levels to succeed in Division I action in Evansville's Ben Humrichous (a former NAIA standout). The leap wasn't quite as big for Wells, who went from Division II All-American at Sonoma State to the third-leading scorer on an NCAA tournament team last season at Washington State. Wells has the traits Illinois is seeking as a 6-8 shooter who knocked down 42 percent of his three-pointers in the 2023-24 season.
