Illinois Basketball 2024-2025 Awards: Transfer of the Year

Illinois on SI selects which of the Illini's five 2024 transfers made the greatest impact last season

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) works out with guard Tre White (22) during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

This week Illinois on SI will announce its 2024-25 men's basketball awards – one each, Monday through Friday – to honor the individual contributions of last season's Illini.

Defensive Player of the Year: Tomislav Ivisic

Facing a near-complete roster overhaul an offseason ago, Illinois dipped into the transfer portal and filled its cup: five transfers in total, one of the largest such figures in college basketball last season. The results? Mixed, but positive on the whole.

So it's time to look back, assess and tab the player who arrived in Champaign via the portal that made the greatest impact in 2024-25.

Eligible players included Carey Booth (transferred from Notre Dame), Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Jake Davis (Mercer), Ben Humrichous (Evansville) and Tre White (Louisville).

Illinois on SI Transfer of the Year: Kylan Boswell

2024-2025 stats: 12.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 steals per game

A two-way threat, Boswell was an integral part of Illinois' schemes on both ends of the floor and stepped forward to become arguably the team's most important leader and clutchest crunch-time player.

Listed at (a perhaps generous) 6-foot-2, Boswell used his speed and shiftiness to get downhill and his running back-like frame (205 pounds) to create space and finish at the basket or draw contact and get to the line (4.1 free throws attempted per game).

It If Bam sees the lane, Bam's taking the lane.

pic.twitter.com/nxK5nCseiM

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 23, 2025

Although he’s a solid career shooter (37.9 percent or better in two season at Arizona), Boswell struggled in his first season at Illinois, knocking down just 24.5 percent of his triples. Inside the arc, Boswell was quite efficient, shooting 56.7 percent on twos and 79.0 percent from the line.

One of the best perimeter defenders in the country, Boswell was a terror for opposing perimeter players. With quick hands, next-level anticipation and all-out effort, Boswell has all the tools (minus ideal size) of a shutdown defender. Matched up with small point guards such as Braden Smith and Ja’Kobi Gillespie and even tall wings like Cooper Flagg and John Tonje, Boswell served as Illinois’ great equalizer – its queen on the chess board, going wherever his squad needed him.

Runner-up: Tre White, who had a solid (and stellar-in-stretches) one-year stint in Champaign – though didn’t quite match Boswell’s impact.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball Swingman Tre White Makes His Transfer Decision

Former Illini Commit AJ Storr Hits Transfer Portal – Could a 'Reunion' Be Next?

Illinois Basketball Guard Kylan Boswell Announces Intentions for Next Season