Head coach Brad Underwood and the Illinois basketball team have just connected with one of the biggest names on the NCAA transfer portal.
Matthew Mayer, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward from Baylor, withdrew his name from the 2022 NBA Draft on Saturday, keeping Illini’s hopes of landing him very much alive.
Since entering the transfer portal, Mayer has so far heard of Alabama, Arkansas, Memphis, North Carolina, USC, Texas Tech and Illinois.
Mayer was a four-star freshman out of high school and he was ranked the nation’s 93rd overall prospect by 247Sports. He was also the No. 20 small forward in the nation and the No. 4 outgoing Texas player.
Matthew Mayer of Baylor, who will withdraw from the NBA draft, will be transferred. https://t.co/EnumYiFBwf
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 21, 2022
The Texas native averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season. He also shot 40.9% from the field and 32.4% from three points.
Transfer portal target Matthew Mayer would have a big impact on the Illinois basketball roster.
After the departures of big men Kofi Cockburn, Omar Payne and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, Mayer’s landing would fill that void in the paint. Coleman Hawkins (6-foot-10), Brandon Lieb (7-foot) and Dain Dainja (6-foot-9) are the current big names on Illini’s roster.
Mayer would be an immediate starter alongside Hawkins in the paint. This would give the Illini a monstrous and versatile post presence given that both players can fire the three-point shot, post and play along the perimeter. The two combine for a career average of 31.4% from three-point range.
The 2022-23 starting lineup would likely be:
- Skyy Clark, Father.
- RJ Melendez, So.
- Terrence Shannon Jr., Sr.
- Matthew Mayer, Sr.
- Coleman Hawkins, Jr.
If the coaching staff is able to seal the deal, Mayer would be the fifth addition to Illini’s class of 2022, which ranks seventh in the country.
