As of Wednesday evening, Illinois was considered the frontrunner for Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic. But Stojakovic had yet to announce anything officially, and even if the high-scoring sophomore guard indeed elects to settle in Champaign, the Illini will still have work to do to filling a few holes.
Given all the variables and how quickly the college basketball landscape is changing under our feet, it’s hard to know what roles, how many minutes and the number of NIL dollars that will be available to those players who will round out Illinois’ roster.
Coach Brad Underwood and the Illini undoubtedly already have a number of irons in the fire – and we’ve mentioned more than a few in these pages already. But a handful of impact players entered the transfer portal before it closed Tuesday who should be familiar to Illinois fans, and who could be worth considering bringing into the fold.
• Illinois Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker: Additions, Departures and More
Here they are, ranked in descending order of best fit according to Illinois on SI:
Fland was a streaky but dangerous scorer (13.5 points per game) and distributor (5.1 assists) as a Razorbacks freshman, and he was only getting started when a thumb injury derailed his season. Fland wasn’t the same when he returned for Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament run, and Illini fans caught him on an off night in November (eight points, 2-for-12 shooting) – thanks in part to the defense of Kylan Boswell.
How he fits: Honestly, not especially well. Illinois just added point guard Mihailo Petrovic, and there may be no room for a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer in Champaign. Besides, Fland’s focus seems to be on the NBA Draft, and his size (6-foot-2, 175 pounds), mercurial shooting and likely price tag add up to a player whose juice probably isn’t worth the squeeze.
Claude hopped into the portal at the last moment Tuesday night, and his experience, dimensions and production are undeniably intriguing. Moreover, Claude – a 6-foot-6 point guard who averaged 15.8 points (on 48.2 percent shooting) and 4.2 assists as a Trojans junior last season – exploded for a season-high 31 points at State Farm Center back in January. Illini fans know what he can do.
How he fits: Illinois fans also got a taste of what Claude can’t do: shoot efficiently from distance. He went 0-for-2 on threes against the Illini, and shot just 30.7 percent on the season. Claude would bring some excellent hard skills and intangibles with him from L.A., but Underwood only has eyes for shooters.
Stewart missed Ohio State’s only game against Illinois last season due to an illness, but Illini fans may have caught him in other action around the Big Ten. It would be hard to imagine them not liking what they saw. After transferring from Duke, Stewart averaged 5.7 points (on 54.2 percent shooting), 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just 18.4 minutes as a sophomore in Columbus.
How he fits: If Stewart’s numbers have a familiar ring to them, it’s likely because they so closely mirror those of Morez Johnson Jr. in his freshman season at Illinois. In fact, Stewart’s 19.0 total rebounding percentage came in just a shade below Johnson’s astronomical 20.1. Stewart wouldn’t give Illinois the same muscle as Johnson inside, but as a springy dunker-spot type who can finish in transition and board like crazy, he would be an excellent second-line frontcourt player.
Garcia is a senior waiting to find out whether he’ll be granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA under its murky rules, but if he were granted another season and somehow landed in Champaign, he would be a dream fit for Underwood. A 6-foot-11, 230-pound wing scorer who averaged 19.2 points last season, Garcia can launch it (1.6 threes per game on 37.3 shooting), put it on the floor and pass from the 4 position. His efficiency is impressive coming from such a high-usage contributor.
Dawson Garcia with the steal and SLAM ‼️ @GopherMBB#B1GMBBall on FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/Qw4a7VUkfr
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 19, 2025
How he fits: Garcia would have to take on a more modest role with the Illini, but he might welcome that if the tradeoff were the possibility of a Big Ten title and a serious NCAA Tournament run. In three years since he made the national title game as a sophomore with North Carolina, Garcia has gone 43-54 with the Gophers.
Reese, you may remember, annihilated the Illini in a 27-point, 17-rebound performance in January – a matchup, to be fair, for which Tomislav Ivisic was absent. But you get the gist. Reese is a 6-foot-9, 230-pound force – a strong interior scorer (13.3 points per game last season) with a little touch on his jumper and a ton of rebounding muscle (9.0 boards) and rim-protecting bounce (1.5 blocks).
How he fits: Reese’s situation is similar to that of Garcia, but if the NCAA rules in his favor, Illinois would benefit immensely from what he brings to the table. Although Reese lacks three-point range, his experience and interior contributions – especially on defense – would actually provide more value to an Illini roster that lacks them elsewhere behind Ivisic. If you can’t beat him, recruit and sign him.
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Illinois’ Latest International Signee Mihailo Petrovic: What He Brings
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