The failed Illinois–Carey Booth experiment is now over. Booth announced on Thursday evening that he had entered the transfer portal only one season after joining the Illini.
The sophomore forward came to Illinois as a long, athletic piece from Notre Dame. He played in all 33 of the Irish’s games as a freshman and started 19 of them. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 29.7% from deep. That three-point percentage, however, rose at the end of the year as he shot 36.6% from long range (15-41) in his final eight games.
Predictions pinned Booth as a productive stretch big man for the Illini after his solid freshman campaign. Expectations were for him to play meaningful minutes off the bench, supporting freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. and sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić. No one expected this season to be a regression for Booth, but that is what it turned out to be. He only played in 21 regular season games for Illinois and averaged under six minutes per game in those contests.
Booth became a garbage time player who was often put in the game alongside the Illini’s walk-ons. Even when injuries and illnesses weakened Illinois’ frontcourt, Booth was notably absent as a substitute. Head coach Brad Underwood opted for graduate student forward Ben Humrichous as more of a small-ball five, leaving Booth on the bench.
When Booth did get on the court, against Duke at Madison Square Garden, he was rarely passed the ball. He looked hesitant to shoot and handle the ball. This season was detrimental to Booth’s confidence, as he seemingly wasn’t given the chance to continue building on the foundation he set at Notre Dame.
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Booth will transfer to another college program where he will have more of a role on the court his junior year. It will be Booth’s third team in three seasons. Per Jamie Shaw of On3 sports, Booth entered the portal with a ‘Do Not Contact’ tag, suggesting he does not want coaches reaching out unless he chooses to have discussions with them. It also could potentially indicate Booth has already decided where his next destination will be.
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