Is Illinois a preseason Top-5 team?

The returnees have consistently expressed their love for the University of Illinois, the fans and the coaching staff as key reasons for coming back. They clearly enjoy playing together and have no desire to be anywhere else.

Illinois has also added pieces to help offset the departures of Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, and Ben Humrichous. The Illini brought in high-level transfer Stefan Vaaks to help fill some of the scoring void. Vaaks is a special offensive talent who fits the big-guard mold the coaching staff values.

Five freshmen will also compete for minutes, headlined by top-60 recruits Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo. This is Brad Underwood’s largest freshman class since the Ayo Dosunmu-led 2018 group. Illinois will rely on its freshmen to provide valuable minutes in the backcourt and add depth to the frontcourt.

The transfer portal rankings will not fully reflect the success Illinois had this offseason. Retention was the clear priority, and the staff executed that plan at a high level while still addressing key needs with Vaaks and the incoming freshman class. Despite adding just one transfer, Illinois is ranked No. 77 in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

Will Illinois add anyone else?

Illinois ranked No. 2 nationally in the portal rankings heading into the 2022–23 season after landing Terrence Shannon Jr., Matthew Mayer, and Dain Dainja, but ultimately finished seventh in the Big Ten and exited the NCAA Tournament in the first round. Since then, the staff has prioritized retention and development over chasing the biggest names. That new approach has paid dividends.

The pieces now fit Brad Underwood’s style of play, and there is no reason to expect anything different next season. Illinois has locked in its roster early in the offseason and is positioned to be one of the best teams in college basketball for a second straight year.