Illinois fans remember Dain Dainja as a two-year member of the program and an integral part of the 2024 Elite Eight squad. Dainja played in all 37 games for Illinois that season, averaging 6.7 points on nearly 67% shooting and grabbing 3.6 rebounds per game. Despite being a key role player on that roster, Dainja had his nightly minutes cut in half from his sophomore to junior year. That reduction, combined with Illinois bringing in similarly skilled freshman Morez Johnson Jr. for the 2024-25 season, led the former Illini to hit the transfer portal, where he ultimately chose to join Memphis for his senior year.
That decision proved to be a positive for Dainja, who went on to have a fantastic season. He put up 14.6 points per game on 61.5% shooting and 7.4 rebounds for the Tigers and hoped to get one more year of eligibility to remain at Memphis. However, the NCAA denied his waiver in late June, causing Dainja to take the professional route and join the Miami Heat for NBA Summer League. The Daily Illini had the chance to talk with Dainja in Las Vegas on Friday, right after his final game with Miami.
The Daily Illini: You had a good final year at Illinois but a really great last year at Memphis. What do you think allowed you to make that big jump from junior to senior year?
Dain Dainja: Well, just being able to, you know, play for a coach or in a program that’s, you know, willing to let me play my game. I feel like that was the biggest thing. And just the work I put in over the summer. But I say more so it was the opportunity that I had.
DI: You applied for a waiver with the NCAA to return to school for another year, but it got denied relatively late. Were you working out for teams while waiting to see if you would be able to go back to college?
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Dainja: Yeah, yeah, I had several workouts. I had about 10 workouts while waiting for, to see what the NCAA would say. Then the second day of the draft is actually when I found out (the decision).
DI: How did joining Miami for Summer League come about? Was that in the works before you heard the NCAA’s decision, or did it happen after?
Dainja: I had a Zoom meeting with Miami. I talked to them a few days before the draft happened. You know, they liked who I was. They liked my game, so I was able to have a good meeting or interview with the coaching staff.
DI: Now that Summer League is over, how did you feel adjusting to the pro game?
Dainja: I’ll say, you know, just me throughout my whole career dealing with the stuff I dealt with at Baylor, Illinois, I’ve kind of been through everything. So I felt like that was the biggest thing for me, whether it was coming off the bench, whether it was playing five minutes, six minutes, whatever it was. You know, I was just ready. I was ready for my opportunity, no matter what came. So I feel like I did a good job with that, just keeping a good head on my shoulders, being a good teammate, whether I was playing the game. Here in the NBA, you just never know when your time is up, but, you know, I stayed ready, and that paid off pretty well.
DI: Is there a big on-court style change you’ve seen from college to the NBA?
Dainja: Yeah, somewhat. I feel like it’s a little faster, of course. Definitely spacing. But I mean, I felt like that’s why I love Memphis so much because the way we played kind of translated more so to the NBA. So I wasn’t shocked by a lot of things we did.
DI: Do you know what’s next for you? Obviously the goal is to be in the NBA, but if that doesn’t happen, do you have G League options or overseas options?
Dainja: No, I actually don’t (know yet). I definitely have a few options with different teams for sure, but you know, I’m still waiting to see the word for Miami.
DI: You didn’t finish your college career in Champaign, but you still have a lot of Illini fans that are supporting you — even here in Las Vegas. What’s your message to those Illinois fans?
Dainja: Oh man, you know, I just appreciate all the support. You know, all the people who were, all the fans who came out, watched me play here in Vegas, the ones that just stayed loyal to me. You know, it will always be a home for me. Definitely.
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