College Basketball
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Morez Johnson Jr. Enters Transfer Portal, Sends Illinois Fans Spiraling

When news broke roughly 24 hours ago that sophomore forward Carey Booth had become the first player from Illinois’ 2024-25 roster to enter the transfer portal, per 247Sports, virtually no one batted an eye. Booth averaged 5.2 minutes last season, appeared visibly unhappy and can almost certainly find another program that will make for a better fit.

But this? This was a sucker punch to the solar plexus.

On Friday, another Illini frontcourt player hit the portal – and this time it was freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., as reported by 247Sports’ Travis Branham. The reaction from Illini Nation was a full swoon:

But before blaming the downfall of college basketball on a 19-year-old, let’s consider all the facts:

Johnson averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes as a freshman. Good numbers – especially by rate.

More than any other Illini, Johnson was a good soldier. He played a specific role for coach Brad Underwood while most of his rotation teammates played a freewheeling, open-ended style.

Johnson has demonstrated his commitment to Illinois time and time again, from when he first signed with the program as a sophomore at St. Rita through his Illinois Mr. Basketball senior season at Thornton through rushing back from a broken wrist during his first year in Champaign to give the Illini a needed push into tournament season.

Despite having entered the transfer portal, Johnson currently remains a member of the Illini. It’s possible that doesn’t change.

But if it does – if Johnson is truly gone – then Underwood may have only himself to blame.

College basketball rumors and innuendo come cheap on social media platforms and message boards, but it’s hardly a stretch to imagine Johnson not loving his role as a freshman. Could he have played more minutes? Received a handful more post-up opportunities? Squeezed off a few more jump shots? Absolutely.

Underwood had a grand design, however, and those plans limited Johnson strictly to boards crashing and finishing in the dunker spot – despite arguably being capable of more. As Big Ten Network analyst and former Illini guard Stephen Bardo told Illinois on SI barely a week into the season, “I’ve seen Johnson shoot it in practice – he can shoot the three. I don’t know that Brad’s allowing him to shoot it right now, but he has the ability to do so.”

Balancing the good of the many with the aspirations of the few is nothing new in college basketball – or even at Illinois. Those efforts will surely become even more difficult in the NIL era, but the challenge is as old as the game itself. It’s more palatable to attribute the lack of player movement from past eras to “loyalty” and “sacrifice” rather than the NCAA’s brand of indentured servitude.

If Johnson feels he wasn’t allowed the opportunity to fully tap into his abilities in his first year of college basketball, it could be argued that he should show patience, play the long game, enjoy campus life and the unbridled adoration of Illini fans. But he also wouldn’t be wrong.

There is always the chance that Johnson is simply keeping all his options open and could be talked into returning – or decide on his own that Illinois has an excellent chance to compete for a national title next season if it can minimize its offseason losses. But given that he retweeted this post himself, none of it seems promising:

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