Illinois basketball should consider pursuing former five-star prospect

Illinois basketball needs some secondary playmaking. With the likely departures of Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis, combined with the departure of junior wing Tre White, the Illini need to replace a great deal of scoring and playmaking. Jakucionis and Riley were arguably the two best playmakers and shot creators that the Illini had. With both gone, they need someone to pair alongside Kylan Boswell. The transfer portal season is a long and tedious one. Just when we think that a day is as wild as it gets, the following day finds a way to top it.

UNC combo guard and former five-star prospect Ian Jackson entered the transfer portal. Jackson played 23.8 minutes per game off the bench and averaged 12.4 points on an efficient 45.6% from the field and 39.5% from three. This is all while playing with high usage guards in RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, and Seth Trimble. Upon doing some digging, Illinois basketball may have an in with Jackson thanks to associate head coach Orlando Antigua.

Recruited from Kentucky

While Jackson was a prep recruit, Orlando Antigua originally recruited him to the University of Kentucky. In fact, there are a number of quotes out there citing Jackson’s strong relationship with Antigua. In an article on A Sea of Blue, an SB nation site covering Kentucky, Jackson once said, “Coach (Orlando) Antigua, he’s been very hands on and has come to the majority of my games this season. He came to open runs to watch me play, and he’s been to a lot of games. He’s been in contact with me, and he calls my coaches to check on me and see how I am. He’s just been very connected with me, really.”

Ian Jackson had an extremely productive freshman year and is a five-star prospect. He will have a long list of suitors and likely a very high NIL tag. However, the relationship with Antigua is certainly a strong starting point and the fit for Ian Jackson could potentially be huge. Jackson and Boswell would immediately make for an exciting, reliable backcourt that would push Illinois to the top half of the league.

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