Freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. entered the transfer portal on Friday afternoon in a relatively unexpected move. He is the second Illini to jump into the portal since the offseason began. Fellow big man, sophomore forward Carey Booth, indicated his intent to leave Champaign on Thursday.
Johnson’s departure is a major loss for Illinois. As a freshman, the Chicago native averaged seven points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He was the best low-post defender and rim protector the Illini had on the roster, and he was likely going to have a full-time starting role next year after starting only eight games during the 2024-25 season. The toughness he brought was much needed to an Illini team that, overall, lacked physicality.
With sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić currently undecided about his NBA future and Illinois not having any other true big men on the roster, there is a major hole to fill for the Illini ahead of next season. The coaching staff will need to be active in pursuing other big men in the next few weeks. The Illini had a Zoom call with Santa Clara transfer junior center Christoph Tilly on Wednesday, and they are one of the final teams in the running for class of 2025 European big man Aleksa Dimitrijević.
Bringing back Ivišić should be major priority for Illinois. The Croatian is on draft boards, mostly late in the second round. If Illinois can put together an enticing enough package to bring Ivišić back, it will retain one of the best big men in the nation going into next season, easing the loss of Johnson’s skillset.
Johnson had been committed to Illinois for three years before coming to Champaign. The former Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year was recruited by former Illini assistant coach Tim Anderson, who left the program ahead of Johnson’s freshman year.
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