Illinois' Next Offseason Move: Transfer Portal, International Talent or Another Path?

The John Blackwell saga officially came to an end on Tuesday, as the Wisconsin transfer committed to Duke. After Illinois appeared to be the frontrunner for the first week or so of Blackwell’s recruitment, one of the two (or both) parties backed off and the Illini wound up falling out of the race. Regardless, Brad Underwood and Co. now need another guard.

Or do they?

What is Illinois' next move after missing out on John Blackwell?

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Transfer portal

The knee-jerk reaction with Blackwell off the board: Who else can the Illini target in the portal? Colgate’s Jalen Cox leaps out as a potential option at lead guard (17.9 points and 5.3 assists this past season). Tulsa’s Tylen Riley would be a name worth monitoring, as well.

In reality, though, with all due respect to Cox and Riley, there isn’t a remaining guard in the portal who truly screams Illinois material. There isn’t a player with that coveted positional size or combination of shooting and playmaking that Underwood values.

Simply put, it’s too late in the transfer-portal game, which means the Illini may have to turn to Underwood’s favorite stomping grounds …

International market

Although there aren’t many well-known entities overseas, if there is anyone of note, Underwood and his staff are in the know. Perhaps there is an international guard who can come to Champaign and fill Illinois’ point guard vacancy. (It's worth noting that Kasparas Jakucionis didn’t commit to the Illini until May 28 in 2024.)

High school prospects

Class of 2026 five-star Dylan Mingo, who just decommitted from North Carolina last week, would be a huge get for Illinois. Then again, the Illini would seem to already have their lead guard of the future in Quentin Coleman.

With one of the open roster spots, Underwood could also elect to take a flyer on a high-upside player in Alex Constanza, with whom the Illini already have an established connection. Still, with a loaded wing rotation, Constanza likely wouldn’t see the floor in his freshman season.

Stand pat

Underwood and his crew very well may be more than satisfied with their current roster makeup. Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks can facilitate action, forward David Mirkovic is a legit playmaker, and even big man Tomislav Ivisic can have offense run through him.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, Coleman appears poised to play a role – and perhaps a big one – right away. Ideally, he develops into the primary action initiator for the Illini at lead guard (or Vaaks shines enough in that role). If Illinois decides to stand pat, it will likely be due to Underwood having enough trust in Coleman’s abilities to be an immediate-impact player.

What will be Illinois’ next 2026 offseason step?

It would be a mild shock if the Illini made an addition via the portal or the amateur ranks – unless it’s essentially to grab a roster-spot filler. If Illinois chooses to bring in another player expected to compete for rotation minutes, based on what's left in the talent pool, it would most likely be an international prospect.

Most signs point toward Underwood sticking with his current squad, though. On one hand, that makes sense. The Illini do appear to have a preseason top-five unit, so why would they twist themselves into pretzels to make a move? On the other, an additional ball-handler – and preferably an experienced one – may be necessary to push Illinois to the very top.

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