Former Illinois Basketball Assistant to Leave Kentucky
Rumor has it that former Illinois Basketball assistant, Orlando Antigua, will not be joining the staff at Arkansas with John Calipari. Antigua left Champaign in 2021 to join forces with John Calipari again after spending the early 2010s in Lexington. After the rumors surfaced that Antigua would not join Calipari at Arkansas, ideas surfaced that Antigua may just want to stay in Lexington with Mark Pope’s new staff.
Currently, there are rumors swirling that Antigua will likely leave Kentucky and search elsewhere for an assistant coaching position. With Chester Frazier officially joining West Virginia, the timing could not be more perfect for a return to Champaign.
A successful time in Champaign
Orlando Antigua helped land a majority of the players who were instrumental in the resurgence of Illinois Basketball. Kofi Cockburn, Andres Feliz, and Andre Curbelo were all massive in the 2019-2021 seasons which helped return Illinois Basketball to prominence. Antigua and Brad Underwood had a great relationship. They worked well together and Josh Whitman was willing to pay top dollar so that Antigua could staying Champaign. With the opportunity to bring Antigua back, Josh Whitman will certainly be willing to do that again.
As a result, Orlando Antigua will be attracted to return to Illinois Basketball for all of those reasons. His connections around the entire world will only benefit Illinois as they attempt to retool after an Elite Eight run.
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