On Saturday morning, junior guard Tre White became the third Illini to enter the transfer portal this week, joining freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. and sophomore forward Carey Booth. White originally transferred to Illinois from Louisville, and he spent his freshman year at USC. White will now set his sights on a fourth school in as many seasons.
White was a key piece for Illinois this past season. He started 31 games and averaged 10.5 points on 50.7% shooting and 5.5 rebounds per game. He gave the Illini a much-needed veteran presence that could attack and finish at the rim, provide defensive fight and hit open corner threes. White shot 32.9% from deep during the season, but he finished the year shooting 48.1% from three over Illinois’ final eight games.
White initially indicated that he was interested in returning to Champaign after Illinois lost to Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
“I’m fiery right now,” White said. “I feel like I can go play another game. …I know we got a good group of returning guys, but it’s just going to be a great summer full of work, and I’m excited to bring this pain into next year. …I had a bunch of experiences that I never had before. I’m just grateful for it all. Just ready to run it back.”
Now, that no longer seems to be the case. Illinois has lost two of its most impactful players to the portal in Johnson and White. With two of the team’s other best players, freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis and freshman forward Will Riley, likely entering the NBA draft, the Illini have a lot of talent and production to replace.
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One player to keep an eye on will be redshirt junior Ty Rodgers. After being a starter on the 2024 Elite Eight team, Rodgers made the decision to redshirt the 2024-25 season. It was likely a combination of a couple of factors. First, his jump shot probably had not developed enough to make him effective offensively outside of the paint. Second, Riley and White, with their greater offensive arsenals, would be ahead of him on the depth chart and have larger roles. There is now a role to fill, and Rodgers, with his defensive energy, toughness and veteran leadership, could bring a lot to the team next year if he decides not to transfer.
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