Illinois Basketball: Quincy Guerrier Commitment

With Illinois having two open scholarships there was some questions about how they would fill those two positions. It didn’t take long for Brad Underwood to fill one of those spots. Just days after he announced he was in the portal, former Syracuse and Oregon forward Quincy Guerrier visited and committed to the Illini. Guerrier will spend his fifth and final year in Champaign, providing another old, experienced player to the Illini’s growing forward group.

1. The Player

Guerrier is a sturdy 6’7″, weighing in at 220 pounds according to the Oregon website. The Montreal native supplies a nice mix of physicality and finesse. He is able to both punish smaller defenders in the post and on the drive, as well as step out and make jump shots. Under Jim Boheim at Syracuse he played in their 2-3 zone, but Oregon played primarily man. This should mean there isn’t too much of a learning curve on that end at Illinois.

Guerrier isn’t an explosive athlete but after 130+ games at the Power 5 level, he knows how to use his frame and strength to work around his relative groundedness. This lack of top end athleticism can hurt him on some defensive assignments. He could struggle with shiftier wings, and the Illini will likely use him much more as a 4 than a 3. It can also limit him offensively and he’s not going to blow by anyone and finish above elite rim protection. At Oregon last year they had multiple seven footers in the rotation, which pushed him more onto those matchups that he struggled with and clogged the lane. With Dain Dainja and possibly Coleman Hawkins as the only center type players, Guerrier will most likely play much more of his natural position with the Illini. With his big body he can impact the glass as well. I’m sure Underwood would like to see him get back to his sophomore year at Syracuse when he averaged north of eight rebounds a game.

2. The Resume

As mentioned above, Guerrier has been around the block. As a four star recruit out of ‘secondary school’ (eh?) at Thetford Academy he visited the Illini. Eventually choosing Syracuse, Guerrier had two productive years, capped by a Third Team All-ACC campaign at Syracuse as a sophomore. He hit the portal, and Illinois once again threw their hat in the ring but came up short again as Guerrier picked Oregon. Guerrier had a good junior year in Eugene, but struggled as a senior as the roster didn’t quite fit his skillset as well. Despite this, he still started 22 games that year, after starting all 35 the year before. As a grad transfer, he will not need a waiver. He’s never led a team in scoring, and I think Illinois won’t ask him to either.

Last year Guerrier averaged nine points per game, around in line with his career average of 9.8. He has increased his three-point percentage every year, going from 13% as a freshman to 35% last year. He did so while also increasing his volume to over 6 attempts per game at Oregon. Unlike his three-point stroke, his free throw percentage has hung around 60-65% his whole career. Guerrier his worst year last year at just 58% from the line. This will certainly give some fans a bit of a chill after last year’s struggles from the Illini, but if he can provide solid shooting and defense, I’m sure we will get over it.

3. The Fit

After picking up Marcus Domask, there was a sense that the Illini would look more for a big man than a forward. With Guerrier on board, between Domask, Luke Goode and Ty Rodgers they seem to have a crowd of primary power forwards. Depending on what Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon Jr. decide, Guerrier’s talents may fit the starting lineup better than the others. Much like Domask, he has the ability to post up smaller defenders. With Oregon’s collection of seven-foot centers he had a career low amount of post ups last year. However, the first three years of his career, he ranked in the 85th, 97th, and 75th percentiles:

He and Domask are efficient post players, and since both are capable outside shooters they will be able to play together offensively. Guerrier has a high release, and gets a good arc on his shot. You can see why his percentage has consistently improved:

He can also punish someone coming on a closeout, especially going right. At 6’7″ he is tall enough to just get a step, and then get his shot up with his length. He uses his strength as well to make up for his lack of above the rim pop:

Guerrier is a very versatile offensive player. He can also create offense by crashing the glass. He has very strong hands, and can finish through traffic:

With Hawkins and Shannon Jr. in the draft process but maintaining eligibility, the Illini have just one remaining scholarship. Even if both return, that will very likely be a guard who can play on the ball. Guerrier is someone who can play with anyone offensively. The key will be finding a defensive fit for him in the rotation. Rodgers can guard just about any position but Guerrier, Goode and Domask all have some deficiencies on that end. Guerrier will be Big Ten ready physically, and will raise the average age on the team even further. After betting on youth last year, Underwood is stocking up on older players.