NEWS: Providence guard Stefan Vaaks commits to Illinois

Illinois landed its first transfer of this year’s portal cycle when Providence freshman Stefan Vaaks announced his commitment.

Vaaks is a 6’7” guard from Estonia who averaged 15.8 points per game in his first college season. While Mihailo Petrovic entered the transfer portal, the Balkan presence in Champaign remains strong with the addition of Vaaks.

The Illini expect a year-two jump from the 20-year-old former Providence guard, who was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team last season. Vaaks is already starting to draw NBA interest, but he should have the opportunity to continue developing in an Illini uniform for multiple years.

He is ranked as the No. 11 transfer prospect by On3 and No. 13 by 247Sports. Those rankings make him a four-star transfer on both platforms and one of the most highly touted players in the portal.

Elite shot creator

Vaaks is a big guard and a talented shot-maker. He has a high-volume three-point profile, attempting 8.4 threes per game last season, which ranked in the 99th percentile according to CBB Analytics. That number will likely decrease on a more talented Illinois team, but he should still be a major factor in the Illini offense.

The Estonian-born guard shot an impressive 35% from three and 83.9% from the free-throw line as a freshman. He is also a capable passer and a strong offensive fit for Illinois thanks to his positional size. However, he will need to improve as a rebounder and defender.

Vaaks averaged just 2.5 rebounds per game last season. Improving in that regard will likely be a major focus for Brad Underwood this offseason. According to CBB Analytics, Vaaks ranked in the 23rd percentile nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (1.7%), the 42nd percentile in offensive rebounds per game (0.5), and just the 10th percentile in defensive rebounding percentage (6.6%).

Despite his natural offensive ability, Vaaks will need to adapt to Underwood’s emphasis on rebounding if he wants to stay on the floor. Underwood preaches offensive rebounding daily, and improvement in that area could take Vaaks’ game to the next level. The Illini ranked No. 3 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage last season, and guards must play a major role in maintaining that standard.

The Illinois staff has done an outstanding job evaluating talent. Vaaks should step into the starting lineup from day one and give the Illini a great chance to be a top two offense in college basketball for the second straight season.

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