Illinois head coach John Groce announced Wednesday that Jon Ekey, along with Seton Hall guard Aaron Cosby, will transfer to Illinois upon completing the spring semesters at their respective schools. Ekey, a junior, will be eligible to play immediately because of his status as a graduate student, while the sophomore Cosby will sit for the 2013-2014 season per NCAA transfer rules.

The transfers of both Ekey and Cosby serve a dual-purpose for an Illinois team that only returns five scholarship players next season. Ekey will provide a veteran presence and depth to complement the five incoming freshman that otherwise would have logged heavy reserve minutes off the bench. The transfers also fill a cavernous need in the shooting department.

“Both guys bring shooting to the table, which is something we wanted to address after losing Paul, Richardson and Griffey,” Groce said in a teleconference.

Thomas can be reached at [email protected] and @ThomasBruch