Inside Illini Basketball Champaign Multimedia Group

The Illinois roster is nearly set for the 2024-25 season, and if Will Riley does, in fact, commit and reclassify newcomers will outnumber
returning scholarship players nearly six-to-one. Brad Underwood has put the pieces of new-look groups together before, but how he mixes and
matches a roster certainly not hurting for talent will be this offseason's final challenge. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's episode of Inside Illini Basketball.

Roughly a month ago Brad Underwood seemed content with adding just one more scholarship player. That 11 would be fine and that more can often be problematic. Kasparas Jakucionis was the 11th. But with Will Riley interested, Illinois would be happy to go to 12 if it meant landing the potentially reclassifying five-star prospect. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's episode of "Inside Illini Basketball."

Brad Underwood is still searching for the last piece to the 2024-25 roster
— a wing scorer is the focus — while looking ahead to 2025, 2026 and 2027 recruits for future rosters. Coleman Hawkins is still searching for
clarity with his NBA draft future. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that
and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

This week's milestone episode of "Inside Illini Basketball" features
special guest Brad Underwood. Beat writer Scott Richey went 1-on-1 with
the Illinois coach to discuss what last season's success means for the
continued development of the program, staying nimble in the transfer
portal era and much more.

Illinois' roster reconstruction continued Monday with the addition of
7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic. The eighth newcomer ahead of the 2024-25
season. With three open scholarships still remaining. Beat writer Scott
Richey discusses the Croatian big man, the potential impact of all the
newcomers (with Kylan Boswell leading that group) and what next season's roster still needs in this week's episode of Inside Illini Basketball.

The transfer portal closes Wednesday, but that doesn't mean the near
complete roster overhaul will be a finished product. That process will
assuredly consume the month of May (and maybe beyond, although that can't be Brad Underwood's wish). What's clear, though, is there's still work to be done to field a roster to compete at the top of the Big Ten. Beat
writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini
Basketball.