 |  |  |
With the window to enter the college basketball transfer portal closing today, a bunch of seniors who should be out of eligibility are portaling on a wing and a prayer with the hopes of getting one more year and potential paycheck.
There are rumors the NCAA might adopt the "Five for Five" rule, which would essentially let college basketball players get five years of playing time, beginning from their high-school graduation or 19th birthday. In other words, future college basketball players would have five years to play five seasons, eliminating redshirts and medical waivers. The goal would be to make sure players are not getting six or seven years of college. The five-for-five would cap players at 24 years of age, to ensure that anyone older would still not be participating in college sports. If this rule were to be adopted, seniors who have just finished a fourth and "final" year could be grandfathered in to play one more season
Mississippi State point guard Jayden Epps is one of those seniors seemingly without remaining eligibility to enter the portal today. Of course, Epps began his career at Illinois. Epps was a freshman on the 2022-23 Illinois team that had its fair share of drama. Epps showed promise as a penetrating point guard but apparently clashed with Head Coach Brad Underwood. Epps left Illinois after his freshman season, transferring to Georgetown, where he played two seasons, and then Mississippi State, where he played last season.
Interestingly enough, every player from the Illini's 2022 high school recruiting class is in the portal at the moment. In addition to Epps, UCLA's Skyy Clark, Cincinnati's Sencire Harris and the Illini's Ty Rodgers have gone portaling.
As seen by just looking at the movement of the Illini's 2022 high school recruiting class, college basketball has created a mess with unlimited transfers, immediate eligibility and NIL that was not regulated well enough. Whether or not a potential "Five for Five" rule even gets adopted and cleans up or causes a bigger mess remains to be seen.
Caution: Below are some highlights of these former Illini freshmen from the 2022-23 season, which still gives me anxiety. That was just an up-and-down season of too much drama. Of course, I love Ty and Sencire and have no ill will towards Epps and Clark. In fact, I was disappointed that things didn't work out for both of them in Champaign.
There are rumors the NCAA might adopt the "Five for Five" rule, which would essentially let college basketball players get five years of playing time, beginning from their high-school graduation or 19th birthday. In other words, future college basketball players would have five years to play five seasons, eliminating redshirts and medical waivers. The goal would be to make sure players are not getting six or seven years of college. The five-for-five would cap players at 24 years of age, to ensure that anyone older would still not be participating in college sports. If this rule were to be adopted, seniors who have just finished a fourth and "final" year could be grandfathered in to play one more season
Mississippi State point guard Jayden Epps is one of those seniors seemingly without remaining eligibility to enter the portal today. Of course, Epps began his career at Illinois. Epps was a freshman on the 2022-23 Illinois team that had its fair share of drama. Epps showed promise as a penetrating point guard but apparently clashed with Head Coach Brad Underwood. Epps left Illinois after his freshman season, transferring to Georgetown, where he played two seasons, and then Mississippi State, where he played last season.
Interestingly enough, every player from the Illini's 2022 high school recruiting class is in the portal at the moment. In addition to Epps, UCLA's Skyy Clark, Cincinnati's Sencire Harris and the Illini's Ty Rodgers have gone portaling.
- Handed the starting point guard position as a freshman, Clark only played 17 games for the Illini before leaving the program in early January of 2023. After the season, Clark transferred to Louisville, where he played on a moribund Cardinals squad for one year. Clark then transferred to UCLA, where he spent the last two seasons and rebuilt his career as an upperclassmen leader for the Bruins. Clark entered the portal a few weeks back and is apparently seeking a waiver for another season, though he would qualify if the "Five for Five" gets adopted.
- After Clark left Illinois mid-year, Epps was thrust into the point guard position, starting 11 games. While having the talent to handle the responsibilities, Epps apparently did not take too well to Underwood's coaching style. There were rumors that Epps was considering leaving mid-year, though he ended up finishing the season, falling out of favor and eventually being replaced in the starting lineup by another freshman.
- While not a point guard, freshman Sencire Harris briefly took on the position and did a capable job in seven starts. Harris was more of a defensive guard who provided a spark for the Illini. He eventually went back to the bench as Illinois settled on a starting lineup of Terrence Shannon Jr., R.J. Melendez, Matt Mayer, Dain Dainja and Coleman Hawkins for the NCAA Tournament. Harris ended up taking a redshirt prior to this sophomore season with the Illini as playing time seemed limited. He then transferred to West Virginia for one season. Unfortunately for Harris, his Head Coach Daren Devries was hired by Indiana. Harris ended up at Cincinnati, where his Head Coach Wes Miller was fired after this past season. Harris should have one more year of eligibility as he seeks a fourth school in five seasons.
- While more of a power forward, Ty Rodgers even played some point for the Illini during that tumultuous '22-23 season, handling some responsibilities during the second half of a first-round loss to Arkansas. Rodgers would actually be the Illini's starting point guard during the 2023-24 season, which resulted in an Elite Eight appearance. In '24-25, Rodgers took a voluntary redshirt as he was apparently recruited over, with playing time seeming scarce. Prior to last season, Rodgers surprisingly came back but injured his knee during the summer. He did not play at all during Illinois' Final Four season and announced last Thursday that he was entering the portal. He should have two years of eligibility left, though the "Five for Five" might leave him with just one year.
As seen by just looking at the movement of the Illini's 2022 high school recruiting class, college basketball has created a mess with unlimited transfers, immediate eligibility and NIL that was not regulated well enough. Whether or not a potential "Five for Five" rule even gets adopted and cleans up or causes a bigger mess remains to be seen.
Caution: Below are some highlights of these former Illini freshmen from the 2022-23 season, which still gives me anxiety. That was just an up-and-down season of too much drama. Of course, I love Ty and Sencire and have no ill will towards Epps and Clark. In fact, I was disappointed that things didn't work out for both of them in Champaign.
| | |
| | |
RSS Feed