Illinois Basketball Reaches Out to Middle Tennessee Big Man

Originally posted on Armchair Illini
By Kirkland Chappell | Last updated 4/11/24

Illinois Basketball Reaches Out to Middle Tennessee Big Man

Illinois Basketball is off to a busy off-season start on the recruiting trail. Coach Brad Underwood has big shoes to fill, and the portal market is the plan to execute. Certainly, with Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja exiting the program, the Illini have major work to do in their front court. In efforts to find their forward, the staff has been very active in the transfer market. Of the current targets, Notre Dame Forward Carey Booth is set to visit Illinois this weekend.

It was announced on Thursday, via The Portal Report on X, that Middle Tennessee State Transfer Jared Coleman-Jones has been in contact with Illinois. As well as a slew of other programs. Since the announcement of his transfer from MTSU, Jared’s stock has been at an all-time high.

MTSU transfer Jared Coleman-Jones has received interest from the following programs:

Baylor
USC
Ole Miss
Georgia Tech
Oklahoma State
UCF
Georgetown
Illinois
Providence
Seton Hall
Mississippi State
South Carolina pic.twitter.com/U7WsjNqe50

— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) April 11, 2024

Breakdown

The junior transfer stands in at 6’10 and 240 lbs. Coleman-Jones was very productive for the Raiders as a sophomore, and cultivated much more value in his game. He averaged 11 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2023-24. Averaging 33 minuets per game as well, which is very important for a big forward. However, he is not your typical rim-running big man. Jared is very athletic, and is not afraid to shoot from anywhere on the court. He averaged a shooting percentage of 45.3% form the floor last season. As well as shooting 44% (19-43) from behind the arc. A versatile, tough player, who could be a solid option for the Illini if other top targets move off the board.