Illinois basketball fans knew it was coming, but Saturday's news wasn't any easier to take.
Junior swingman Tre White, who announced one week ago that he was entering the NCAA transfer portal, made his move official Saturday when he made public his next destination: Kansas.
NEWS: Illinois transfer wing Tre White has committed to Kansas, he tells @On3sports. The 6-7 junior averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. https://t.co/a46bGu6lf6 pic.twitter.com/5IQgDoFj4d
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 5, 2025
The news, reported by On3's Joe Tipton, means White will play for his fourth school in four seasons in 2025-26, while leaving the Illini with a little less in a lot of areas.
White, a Dallas native who spent a year apiece at Louisville and USC before arriving at Illinois, averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds last season. But his ability to play multiple positions, score at all three levels and contribute across the board – or to fit in and grease the wheels when his teammates were running at full throttle – isn't easily replaceable.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound White is heading to Lawrence, where he will essentially replace AJ Storr (a transfer himself), whose profile and game compares somewhat to those of White.
With Iowa guard Josh Dix choosing Creighton and UCF guard Jaylin Sellers picking Providence, two top backcourt portal transfers who reportedly had been in the mix for the Illini are no longer in play. It's unclear what other targets coach Brad Underwood and his staff have in mind moving forward.
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