Illinois Basketball Portal Preview: RayJ Dennis

With the loss of both Skyy Clark and Jayden Epps to the transfer portal, Brad Underwood and Illinois entered the offseason needing a point guard. While Terrence Shannon Jr. is going through the draft process, adding an experienced ball handler will make his and Coleman Hawkins’ decision a little more difficult. Based on the moves the Illini have made, and general buzz it seems like Underwood and his staff believe they have a real chance at bringing either one or both back. But even if they do, the need for a point guard will remain. There’s been social media and message board speculation on just who that was. On the 26th, it seemed like the curtains were pulled back. RayJ Dennis announced he was withdrawing from the NBA draft and entering the portal, and within an hour had a Crystal Ball for the Illini.

While it isn’t tied up with a ribbon and official yet, when things move this fast in the portal era, it’s usually a when not an if. Dennis would be a massive addition, and would give the Illini an experienced and talented lead guard.

1. The Player

At 6’2″ and 185 pounds, Dennis has great size for a point guard. A native of Plainfield, Illinois and a graduate of Oswego East, Dennis has connections to the Land of Lincoln that will endear him to many. What will further endear him will be his talents on the court. Last year Dennis was the point guard of the fifth best offense in all of Division one last year at Toledo per KenPom. Dennis is an offensive engine, able to get two feet in the paint in a variety of ways.

He can use his brains to operate efficiently in the pick and roll as well as in isolation. He can also use his brawn to overwhelm smaller defenders in the post. Toledo ran three guards in their starting lineup and two stretch forwards, and Dennis made the most of this setup to attack matchups he liked. He was also a work horse, averaging over 33 minutes per game each of the last two years.

Defensively the Rockets paid for their very offensively aggressive lineup, coming in at 295th nationally per KenPom. While Dennis graded out fine on that end, and had a good steal percentage, he’s not going to be a dominant defender, and with a primary ballhandler workload at the Big Ten level could well need to take some possessions off on that end. He doesn’t make much impact on the glass, but with his broad frame he can throw his body around to allow others to get the rebound.

2. The Resume

Dennis was not a very heralded recruit in high school.  Ranked in the 400s according to 247Sports, the 3 star guard made his way to Boise State after graduating. After two years in Boise, Dennis transferred to Toledo, where he terrorized the MAC for two years. This was capped off by a phenomenal unanimous MAC Player of the Year campaign last year. Dennis averaged just under 20 points, about four rebounds and six assists per game as the Rockets won the MAC regular season for the third year in a row, winning a joint school record 27 games. Dennis was top ten nationally in assist to turnover ratio, averaging three dimes for every giveaway.

He was First Team All-MAC regular season and tournament and was a finalist for both the Lute Olson National Player of the Year award and the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year award. Safe to say he comes with a bursting trophy case. However, in his time in Boise and Toledo, Dennis has never played in the Big Dance, coming up short in the conference tournament each of the last two years.

Unsurprisingly, Dennis grades out very well analytically as well. Per Synergy Sports, he was in the 78th percentile nationally in the Pick and Roll, and the 87th percentile nationally in isolation. His 121.9 Offensive Rating would’ve been first on the Illini for players playing more than 200 minutes. His thee point percentage has risen each year in college, and his free throw percentage has increased since his sophomore year as well. As such a physical guard, he has also increased his free throw attempts per game every year as well. As mentioned above, he had a good feel for forcing turnovers defensively, averaging over a steal per game.

3. The Fit

From day one Dennis would be the Illini’s tip of the spear offensively no matter who comes back. He is very cerebral in the pick and roll, and can deliver advanced reads both to the roll man, or secondary cuts that open up:

When he’s not operating in the screen game, Dennis can bully smaller defenders. He even can use his quickness to post up bigger guys as well. If Coleman Hawkins returns, we could well see Illinois’ rendition of Jalen Pickett’s ‘bootyball’:

At 37% from three last year, Dennis can also space the floor for drivers or post ups for his teammates. He can also attack closeouts as defenders have to respect his outside shooting. His clean, compact form allows him to get his shot off against any defense:

Dennis is a truly elite passer. He can deliver passes with either hand into tight windows, and generally doesn’t miss open guys. He draws a lot of attention because of his scoring abilities, and leverages that to open the floor for others:

Putting all this together, he uses all his tools to be a tough guard in isolation as well. He uses the threat of the backdown to unsettle defenders, who have to press up to prevent the jump shot. He also has a great shift of pace, which gets him where he wants on the floor. Help defenders worry about their man being open and have to stay attached. Thus, leaving the on-ball defender at his mercy. He can score from all three levels, and has really nice touch on his mid-range and floater:

Dennis is a complete offensive guard. He would lock down the point guard spot, giving the Illini the conductor to the orchestra that they missed last year. If Hawkins returns, he can operate in the pick and pop, as well as posting up in a five-out offense. If Dain Dainja is the starting center, Dennis would help unlock him on the hard and short roll. He constantly commands multiple defenders in ball screens. Dennis would also help take some of the ball handling load off of Shannon Jr. if he returned. This would allow him to exert more energy defensively and shift more to his natural off ball spot.

No matter who comes back or doesn’t. Dennis would be a big-time addition for next year. Much like the other three portal commits this offseason, Dennis has just one year of eligibility. While the long term future would be rather murky, it would give Underwood yet another old, super experienced vet hungry for a chance at the Big Dance.