In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. First up is Illinois, which returns just two players from last season’s Elite Eight team.
Illinois had a historic 2023-24 season, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005. But coach Brad Underwood will have to try to extend that success with almost a completely new roster.
All-Big Ten players Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins are the most notable departures from a team that went 29-9, Illinois’ most wins since 2005. And with Ty Rodgers and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn as the only returners, Illinois will rely heavily on an intriguing group of transfers and freshmen next season.
Here’s a full breakdown of Illinois’ offseason, plus its outlook for the 2024-25 campaign.
Who they lost
Transfers: Coleman Hawkins (12.1 ppg, Kansas State), Dain Dainja (6.1 ppg, Memphis), Luke Goode (5.7 ppg, Indiana), Amani Hansberry (2.4 ppg, West Virginia), Sincere Harris (3.7 ppg, West Virginia), Niccolo Moretti (1.5 ppg, Florida Atlantic)
NBA/graduation: Terrance Shannon Jr. (23.0 ppg), Marcus Domask (15.9 ppg), Quincy Guerrier (9.6 ppg), Justin Harmon (5.6 ppg),
Who they gained
Transfers: Jake Davis (9.0 ppg, Mercer), Carey Booth (6.4 ppg, Notre Dame), Tre White (12.3 ppg, Louisville), Kylan Boswell (9.6 ppg, Arizona), Ben Humrichous (14.7 ppg, Evansville)
Freshmen: Will Riley (No. 12, per 247Sports Composite), Morez Johnson (No. 29), Jason Jakstys (No. 187), Tomislav Ivisic (unranked), Kasparas Jakucionis (unranked)
Returning
Ty Rodgers (6.2 ppg), Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2.4 ppg)
Reasons for optimism
Underwood has proven he can endure major player losses and still be successful. After losing Ayo Dosunmu from its No. 1 seed team, Illinois won the Big Ten the following season. Losing program pillars Kofi Cockburn and Trent Frazier didn’t keep Illinois from missing the NCAA Tournament, either. Underwood has established himself as one of the top coaches in the Big Ten, arguably just a step below Tom Izzo at Michigan State and Matt Painter at Purdue.
It’ll certainly be a challenge to replace all but two players from last year’s Elite Eight team, but Underwood did well in the transfer portal and with high school recruiting. Kylan Boswell figures to step in as Illinois’ point guard after playing a key role in Arizona’s 55-16 run over the last two seasons. Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis, a 6-foot-6 point guard from Lithuania, is a projected first-round NBA draft pick in 2025 and will help fill the backcourt void.
