How Illinois basketball can sell fit for two Iowa Hawkeye transfers

Per Illini Inquirer’s Derek Piper, Illinois basketball is hosting two intriguing transfer portal options from the Iowa Hawkeyes. Both Josh Dix and Pryce Sandfort have made their way to the Illini campus after being in the transfer portal since coach Fran McCaffery was fired. Both players have proven themselves at the Big Ten level and will certainly be highly sought after. They both have skillsets and attributes that the Illini covet, however, acquiring their services certainly will not be easy. Regardless, the Illini have competitive NIL funds and have unique sells that can benefit both Dix and Sandfort.

Josh Dix

Josh Dix is one of the most highly sought-after players in the 2025 transfer portal. His exciting blend of length at 6 foot 6 and shooting ability at the Big Ten level has teams like Kansas and Creighton pursuing his services. During the 2024-2025 season, Dix averaged 14.4 points per game on 50.7% from the field and 42.2% from three. The Illini could certainly use his floor spacing and slashing on the wing after losing forward Tre White to the transfer portal. The Illini will also likely need to replace two main scoring options in Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley.

Per our sources, Illinois plans to go all-in on securing Josh Dix and will do what they can to match the lucrative offer that the Kansas Jayhawks have. The sell for Illinois basketball is that Dix would become a primary focal point for the offense alongside Kylan Boswell and Tomislav Ivisic. With White, Jakucionis, and likely Riley leaving Champaign, there are a lot of opportunities.

Pryce Sandfort

Pryce Sandfort is the brother of Iowa star, Peyton Sandfort. He played two years at Iowa and will have two years of eligibility remaining, whatever he decides to do. Like Dix, Sandfort has length and strong shooting ability as he shot 39 percent from three this past year. He is another player who has proven that he can contribute at the Big Ten level and will fill in nicely for Tre White. He may not be a shot creator, but he provides lethal spacing for whatever this Illini roster will look like.

There is plenty of opportunity in Champaign for a wing scorer like Pryce Sandfort. I am sure that the new Iowa head coach Ben McCollum is trying very hard to retain Pryce Sandfort; however, hosting him for a visit is a strong first step for Illinois. Again, Illinois can sell opportunity at the wing and an array of open shots and cuts while playing alongside great passers such as Tomislav Ivisic and Kylan Boswell.

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