Latest on Illini Transfers: Tre White Thriving, Morez Johnson Jr. Update, More

Following the loss against Nebraska on Saturday, Illinois fell to 8-3 – a solid record through 11 games but hardly ideal given the ability of this squad. It begs the question: Are the Illini missing some of their outgoing transfers from this past offseason?

We’ve already answered that question regarding Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (that would be a hard yes), but let’s take a closer look at each former Illini who departed Champaign with the past year and weigh what their contributions might have been were they still wearig orange and blue for the 2025-26 campaign.

How Illinois' recent transfers might have helped

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood motions to his team during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus on Dec. 9, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Carey Booth, Colorado State

The 6-foot-10 Booth has been nothing short of spectacular for a severely underrated Colorado State unit that has a record of 9-2, with notable wins over Colorado and Wichita State. Booth is averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting sterling percentages from the field (58.6 percent) and long distance (46.2 percent on 2.4 attempts per game).

Throw it down CB!#Relentless x #RAMILY pic.twitter.com/wnl4c1k0NO
— Colorado State Men’s Basketball (@CSUMBasketball) November 28, 2025

How much do the Illini miss him?

Clearly, Booth can be an impact player in the right setting, but Champaign still likely wouldn’t have been that place for him moving forward. He surely would have been on the outside looking in, playing scarce minutes when foul trouble arose in the frontcourt. The Booth-to-Colorado State decision has seemingly benefitted every party involved.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, UNLV

Aside from some difficulties from long range (27.1 percent on 5.9 attempts per outing), Gibbs-Lawhorn has been a tremendous addition for UNLV. He is averaging 16.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists while tacking on 1.5 steals on the other end. A game-altering two-way presence for the Runnin’ Rebels, Gibbs-Lawhorn is the engine that makes them go.

How much do the Illini miss him?

A fan favorite, Gibbs-Lawhorn had the ability to instantly inject life into the State Farm Center and will forever be cherished in Champaign. But like Booth, he made a decision to move on from Illinois that proved to be in his best interest. Although he would have been a piece in the Illini rotation, he would have hung around in that 12-18 minutes per game range likely for the duration of his Illinois career. There’s no question the Illini miss Gibbs-Lawhorn brief bursts of energy, but after everything he poured into the program in his two seasons, it’s impossible not to be happy for him and the ultimate result of his transfer decision.

Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan

Johnson’s 12.9 points (66.3 percent from the field), 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks don’t do justice to the value he brings to Michigan. One of the most effective two-way players in the country, Johnson has a skill set – which has recently been broadened, as he is now knocking down threes – that is unmatched by that of any other individual in the game.

Morez Johnson has been great for Michigan and continues to show that he has more to his game than you may think. Really fun rim runner, defender, and rebounder who could continue to grow as a low-volume spot up shooter. Fun player who deserves more love. pic.twitter.com/KJzepOLG8W
— Tyler Metcalf (@tmetcalf11) December 7, 2025

How much do the Illini miss him?

Honestly? A bunch. Illinois misses Johnson's rebounding, his motor, his finishing. He is one of the key reasons Michigan appears to be the clear Big Ten title frontrunner, and arguably the early national title favorite – although Arizona may have something to say about the latter. (For a deeper dive into why Illinois could currently use all of Johnson’s abilities, click here.)

Tre White, Kansas

After starting off this season with numbers that are nearly identical to his Illinois stat line from a year ago (and his entire college career, for that matter), White has quickly blossomed into a bona fide second option alongside Kansas’ star freshman Darryn Peterson. White is averaging career highs across the board, scoring 14.3 points, snagging 6.9 rebounds and dishing out 2.4 assists per outing while connecting on 51.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and 38.5 percent from long distance (3.3 attempts per game).

How much do the Illini miss him?

Illinois was never able to unlock this version of White – or he wasn’t allowed to show it off. But, yeah, let’s not overthink it: Who wouldn’t want to have that sort of production on their team? White shooting the ball at this level while adding his slashing ability and oft-overlooked rebounding muscle would be huge for this Illinois team. Also, his ability to play within the flow of the game while not force anything would be a welcome sight on an Illini team that features too many ball-dominant players.