Monday morning was a breath of fresh air for Illinois. Desperately seeking a go-to scorer to round out the roster, coach Brad Underwood and the Illini landed exactly what they were looking for in Cal transfer wing Andrej Stojakovic.
With each spot in the starting lineup apparently filled after Stojakovic’s commitment, Illinois now seems poised to target recruits that can fill out the rest of the rotation.
After months of discussions linking the Illini to elite international talent Dame Sarr – a 6-foot-7 Italian wing competing for FC Barcelona – and recruiting expert Joe Tipton of On3 Sports even logging a prediction in favor of Illinois, a question naturally arises: Can Illinois still sign Sarr?
Ton of NBA eyes on Dame Sarr at Nike Hoop Summit practices, coming off a highly productive month playing for Barcelona in the ACB and Euroleague. The 18-year old Italian wing is draft eligible this year. Showed impressive two-way versatility in the scrimmage yesterday. pic.twitter.com/iDGD0BxLUx
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 11, 2025
On the one hand, the opportunity in Champaign is an enticing one: get reps and exposure against Big Ten competition playing alongside fellow internationals (a setting in which Sarr should thrive), be an integral piece of a national championship contender and, ideally, follow in the one-and-done footsteps of Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley.
On the other, with Stojakovic at Illinois, the starting lineup has minimal wiggle room – especially on the perimeter. Although the 4 spot is arguably still up for grabs between Zvonimir Ivisic and David Mirkovic, it’s unlikely Underwood and his staff would push Sarr or Stojakovic into that spot – meaning Sarr would likely be forced to play a sixth-man role.
That said, Sarr can still reach meet his goal while coming off the bench. Just last season, Riley proved that by earning the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year award before working his way into the starting lineup in the postseason and eventually being pegged as a top-20 pick in the upcoming draft.
Working against the Illini in their pursuit of Sarr is one unavoidable fact: There is no better way to showcase your abilities than to play maximum minutes with a never-dimming green light.
Just look at the upcoming draft: Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are expected to go second and third. The pair played alongside each other with the Scarlet Knights, each dominating the ball and claiming virtually unlimited touches.
Rutgers record: 15-17.
Below .500, with no invite to the NCAA Tournament.
Harper (13.8 field goal attempts per game) and Bailey (14.7 field goal attempts per game) were allowed to put their entire skill sets on display at all times, and now each is set to go among the top three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Still, other players have gone similar routes and found less-than-desirable results. Just look at Jalil Bethea, who was the seventh-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024. Bethea went to Miami, where he was expected to be a top contributor, but largely struggled (7.1 points) on a bottom-feeding ACC squad (Miami finished 7-24).
Now Bethea isn’t even projected to be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft, and he will return for another season of college basketball (after transferring to Alabama).
Illinois seems unlikely to offer Sarr the opportunity to be “the guy" – at least this season – but the program gives him the best shot at a winning season and following a proven one-and-done blueprint for international NBA prospects.
Suiting up in orange and blue next season might all but guarantee Sarr a spot in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Taking his talents elsewhere comes with a greater risk-reward factor: It might help launch him to a higher draft slot, but it could instead tank his draft stock if his team scuffles and he fails to put together the season he surely envisions.
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Now in her second WNBA season, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is averaging a league‑leading 12.5 rebounds along with 13.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She recently returned from injury and immediately picked up where she left off, posting her 16th double‑double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds) on Tuesday night even as her Chicago Sky fell, 91-68, to the Minnesota Lynx. Then, on Wednesday, Reese showcased her brand power on Instagram, posting a pregame photo dressed head‑to‑toe in Gucci with the caption, "Don’t worry about me… life is GUCCI @gucci #guccipartner." The image quickly lit up her feed and drew an immediate response from one of the game’s all‑time greats, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who commented, “Yessss it is❤️." Despite flashes of elite play, the Sky have struggled mightily, standing at just 7-17 and sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference. Their 76.7 points per game rank 12th in the WNBA, and opponents are torching them for 86.8 a night (12th in the league). With head coach Tyler Marsh searching for consistency, every bright spot has been a welcome reprieve for a franchise that won the title as recently as 2021. Front and center among Chicago’s bright spots is Reese. Off the court, Reese has quickly built a burgeoning portfolio of endorsement deals, including Reebok, Calvin Klein, Beats by Dre, Amazon and now Gucci, underscoring her status as one of the WNBA’s brightest personalities. On the other side, you have Leslie, whose voice carries more weight than arguably anybody in women’s basketball. A three‑time league MVP, two‑time WNBA champion and Finals MVP and eight‑time All‑Star, Leslie helped define the league’s early years with the Los Angeles Sparks, including driving home the first dunk in WNBA history in 2002. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (class of 2015), she remains a global ambassador for the sport.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Despite already making several roster moves this summer, the Edmonton Oilers might not be done just yet. According to Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer, the team could be considering another trade to trim its forward group. “The Oilers already got a lot of forwards right now,” he noted last week. “They might be moving a guy out.” Edmonton has retooled up front following several departures in free agency and trades. The additions of Andrew Mangiapane, Isaac (Ike) Howard, Matt Savoie, and Curtis Lazar were made to help fill those gaps, but there are questions about whether another top-six winger—and possibly a goaltender—are still needed to push the team back into Stanley Cup contention. In order to bring in more help — or at least create the cap room to discuss another move — someone may need to go. Would Henrique Be Open to a Bigger Role and Security Elsewhere? Despite having a no-move clause, Adam Henrique’s name continues to surface when it comes to a roster change. The Oilers are limited in what they can do unless an option he likes pops up. Set to earn $3 million this season, the veteran center may find himself bumped to the fourth line, a pricey role given internal options like Lazar or Noah Philp. The key to any move might be conving him that he’d have a great opportunity to increase his role and earn another contract on a different roster. The Oilers asked Henrique if he’d be open to waiving his no-trade clause. He declined. Whether they’ll revisit that idea down the line if he’s relegated to limited minutes remains to be seen. At 35 years old, Henrique might not have many years left. That said, a two or three-year deal somewhere would help him finish off his career, and he’s not likely to get that in Edmonton. How much does a chance to win trump landing somewhere that wants him and is willing to extend him? If not Henrique, Mattias Janmark is the easier forward to move. With no trade protection and a $1.45 million cap hit, the 32-year-old could be the odd man out—especially after a lackluster offensive year and a recent minor injury. Kasperi Kapanen, also without trade protection, appears safe after signing a new deal this summer. That said, if things start slowly and neither Henrique nor Janmark are moved, the Oilers could explore a Kapanen trade.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback and former Iowa State star Brock Purdy is gaining more chemistry with his tight end, George Kittle. This offseason, Purdy bought a house in Nashville, Tennessee, making it easier to get to Kittle's compound for extra training. “With Brock down there, it’s really fun,” Kittle said. “They give us a list of routes that they want us to focus on, and for us to be able to run 20, 30, 40 routes, two to three days a week, that helps me. So when we get back and we show up here, it’s not like we are running routes for the first time and have that rust.” Kittle is coming off a great 2024 season, where he hauled in 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. “Obviously, got some work with Kittle, Mason Pline,” Purdy said. “Obviously at George’s place it’s just a bunch of tight ends and everything, but really good work that we got, so I was excited about that.” Kittle has been Purdy's top target since he became the starting quarterback. In the 2024 season, Purdy completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Purdy has been an efficient passer since his time with the Cyclones. In his senior season with Iowa State, Purdy completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 3,188 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. With the extra offseason work, Purdy and Kittle have strengthened their connection, and they should have a great 2025 season. Read More Iowa State Cyclones Coverage