Another Key Illinois Basketball Contributor Bolts for the Transfer Portal

Gibbs-Lawhorn, a former four-star recruit for Illinois and the program's only active returnee from the Illini's 2023-24 Elite Eight squad, offered several tantalizing moments last season but ultimately turned in an up-and-down campaign as the player arguably most affected by coach Brad Underwood's lineup and rotation changes.

After exploding for a career-high 21 points in Illinois' season opener against Eastern Illinois, Gibbs-Lawhorn averaged 5.9 points and shot 44.3 percent from the field in 14.9 minutes a game over the season. He also had outbursts of 16 points against Chicago State, 15 against Maryland and at Nebraska, and 17 at Wisconsin. The 6-foot-1 guard's dunks routinely electrified the State Farm Center crowd and occasionally swung in-game momentum for the Illini.

But Gibbs-Lawhorn's minutes dried up late in the season, when he averaged 7.0 minutes and didn't score a single point over Illinois' last seven games. It wasn't a collapse so much as a natural reaction to having the rug pulled out from beneath him.

There are no indications yet where Gibbs-Lawhorn might land, but don't be surprised if he takes a route similar to that of Morez Johnson Jr. and winds up on another Big Ten campus next season.

A native of Lafayette, Indiana, Gibbs-Lawhorn originally committed to nearby Purdue out of high school (before decommitting and signing with Illinois). Indiana, the first school to offer him back in 2020, might also be interested as it seeks to replenish its roster under new coach Darian DeVries.

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