 |  |  |
9:34 p.m. Update: High school recruit Quentin Coleman has officially signed with Illinois for next season. Of the Illini's five incoming high school recruits, Coleman was the only player yet to sign, that is, until this afternoon. Coleman committed to the Illini on the Friday before the Final Four game against UCONN. Coleman is the most heralded incoming recruit, recently elevating to a five-star status, and figures to compete for a starting position in the Illini backcourt.
Illinois sophomore guard Brandon Lee has announced today that he will be entering the transfer portal, a move that is not all that surprising but still a bit disappointing.
Lee was one of three Illini freshmen last season, including Keaton Wagler and preferred walk-on Blake Fagbemi. Lee was actually a more highly-regarded recruit than Wagler, a three-star who had an All-American freshman season that will never be matched again in Illinois history. Lee is the son of former Marquette star Butch Lee, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1977 NCAA Tournament, which earned him some extra points in my book as the Golden Eagles/one-time Warriors are my next favorite program behind the Illini.
Early in the season, Lee was getting some decent tick, including 11 minutes against UCONN on Black Friday. Lee showed himself to be a player who was not afraid to mix it up defensively. Offensively, Lee really did not have the opportunity to show much on the court. As the season went on, Head Coach Brad Underwood trimmed his rotation to his usual eight players, with Lee and Mihailo Petrovic getting squeezed out.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lee attended The Patrick School in New Jersey. He appeared in 17 games for the Illini, scoring a career-high five points against Southern on December 29th. He had four points during mop-up time in the Illini's first-round victory against Penn. Lee did not have many opportunities to shoot the ball from the outside, though he showed capable of getting to the rim against lesser talent. Listed at 6'4'', Lee seemed a bit shorter, a smaller guard than what the Illini have been playing during recent seasons.
After Illinois lost Petrovic, Toni Bilic and Ty Rodgers to the portal in the last week, Lee remained the last question mark in my book, though the status of Jason Jakstys is still up for grabs. It was undetermined whether or not Lee would be returning, with Illinois bringing in Providence guard Stefan Vaaks and five freshmen, including guards Quentin Coleman, Lucas Morillo and Ethan Brown.
With Rodgers gone, Lee seemed to be a prime candidate to perhaps get some minutes as a defensive guard off the bench. Personally, I was hoping Lee would stay to battle for those backup guard minutes, though his decision to enter the portal makes absolute sense. It is too risky of a career move to sit and not play for a second season. There should be no ill will with this decision as Lee was a very supportive and engaged teammate on the bench throughout the season, part of a team that had incredible chemistry, cohesion and selflessness.
Where Lee goes and whether Illinois adds a backup guard remain to be seen. The potential addition of Wisconsin guard John Blackwell seems more dream than reality. Still, the Illini seem a little thin in the backcourt with just freshmen on the bench, though Jake Davis could slide in and play some two, assuming he is going to be a reserve at the start of the season. Of course, Illinois could begin next season starting either Vaaks or Coleman, Andrej Stojakovic, Davis, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic.
Having Lee as a safety net off the bench would have been beneficial in my opinion, and Illinois should be looking for another experienced guard as a reserve since freshmen are always an unknown. Whatever Illinois decides to do, whether adding another player or not, Underwood has earned the benefit of doubt, as building rosters is his best attribute.
As for Lee, best wishes with this next move, whether it's at a high- or mid-major level. Lee certainly wants to play, which means going down a level would make the most sense and potentially allow him to join a high major program in a season or two. Who knows though? Earlier this week Minnesota added Winters Grady, a player from Michigan who barely played as a freshman, and Northwestern has lost a lot this offseason. If I were Chris Collins, I would call Underwood to inquire about Lee. There are plenty of Big East programs (Seton Hall, Providence, Xavier, DePaul, etc.) that could be an option for someone like Lee. There is always the Marquette connection as well, though the Golden Eagles seem set in the backcourt, and Ty Rodgers would fit the Golden Eagles much better.
Whatever is next in his basketball future, Lee will always be part of a special Illinois team that reached the Final Four! While it would have been awesome to see Lee stay for another season, this move is more than reasonable in today's day and age of college basketball. Thank you Brandon for choosing Illinois and representing the Illini the past season.
Lee was one of three Illini freshmen last season, including Keaton Wagler and preferred walk-on Blake Fagbemi. Lee was actually a more highly-regarded recruit than Wagler, a three-star who had an All-American freshman season that will never be matched again in Illinois history. Lee is the son of former Marquette star Butch Lee, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1977 NCAA Tournament, which earned him some extra points in my book as the Golden Eagles/one-time Warriors are my next favorite program behind the Illini.
Early in the season, Lee was getting some decent tick, including 11 minutes against UCONN on Black Friday. Lee showed himself to be a player who was not afraid to mix it up defensively. Offensively, Lee really did not have the opportunity to show much on the court. As the season went on, Head Coach Brad Underwood trimmed his rotation to his usual eight players, with Lee and Mihailo Petrovic getting squeezed out.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lee attended The Patrick School in New Jersey. He appeared in 17 games for the Illini, scoring a career-high five points against Southern on December 29th. He had four points during mop-up time in the Illini's first-round victory against Penn. Lee did not have many opportunities to shoot the ball from the outside, though he showed capable of getting to the rim against lesser talent. Listed at 6'4'', Lee seemed a bit shorter, a smaller guard than what the Illini have been playing during recent seasons.
After Illinois lost Petrovic, Toni Bilic and Ty Rodgers to the portal in the last week, Lee remained the last question mark in my book, though the status of Jason Jakstys is still up for grabs. It was undetermined whether or not Lee would be returning, with Illinois bringing in Providence guard Stefan Vaaks and five freshmen, including guards Quentin Coleman, Lucas Morillo and Ethan Brown.
With Rodgers gone, Lee seemed to be a prime candidate to perhaps get some minutes as a defensive guard off the bench. Personally, I was hoping Lee would stay to battle for those backup guard minutes, though his decision to enter the portal makes absolute sense. It is too risky of a career move to sit and not play for a second season. There should be no ill will with this decision as Lee was a very supportive and engaged teammate on the bench throughout the season, part of a team that had incredible chemistry, cohesion and selflessness.
Where Lee goes and whether Illinois adds a backup guard remain to be seen. The potential addition of Wisconsin guard John Blackwell seems more dream than reality. Still, the Illini seem a little thin in the backcourt with just freshmen on the bench, though Jake Davis could slide in and play some two, assuming he is going to be a reserve at the start of the season. Of course, Illinois could begin next season starting either Vaaks or Coleman, Andrej Stojakovic, Davis, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic.
Having Lee as a safety net off the bench would have been beneficial in my opinion, and Illinois should be looking for another experienced guard as a reserve since freshmen are always an unknown. Whatever Illinois decides to do, whether adding another player or not, Underwood has earned the benefit of doubt, as building rosters is his best attribute.
As for Lee, best wishes with this next move, whether it's at a high- or mid-major level. Lee certainly wants to play, which means going down a level would make the most sense and potentially allow him to join a high major program in a season or two. Who knows though? Earlier this week Minnesota added Winters Grady, a player from Michigan who barely played as a freshman, and Northwestern has lost a lot this offseason. If I were Chris Collins, I would call Underwood to inquire about Lee. There are plenty of Big East programs (Seton Hall, Providence, Xavier, DePaul, etc.) that could be an option for someone like Lee. There is always the Marquette connection as well, though the Golden Eagles seem set in the backcourt, and Ty Rodgers would fit the Golden Eagles much better.
Whatever is next in his basketball future, Lee will always be part of a special Illinois team that reached the Final Four! While it would have been awesome to see Lee stay for another season, this move is more than reasonable in today's day and age of college basketball. Thank you Brandon for choosing Illinois and representing the Illini the past season.
| | |
RSS Feed