Illinois Basketball Transfers Still Searching for New Teams in 2026

Here’s a shocker: The 2026 offseason – for which Illinois has all but copyrighted the term “The Retention” – has seen an identical number of transfers exit the Illini program as left in the 2025 offseason.

A year ago, Illinois lost four contributors to the portal. This time around, Brad Underwood has lost four again. There is a caveat, though: None of the departing players in 2026 were key pieces in the rotation.

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That said, Mihailo Petrovic, Brandon Lee and Ty Rodgers, the latter of whom started 38 games in Illinois’ 2023-24 Elite Eight run, were all more than capable of developing into key cogs for the Illini in 2026-27. As for Toni Bilic, he’ll leave Champaign the same way he entered: almost completely unknown.

Already in May, somewhat surprisingly, none of Illinois’ outgoing transfers have found a new home. So what is the expectation for each player?

Mihailo Petrovic

Jan 24, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Mihailo Petrovic (77) looks for an open teammate during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

An excellent creator and ultra-dynamic lead guard, Petrovic was expected to be the Illini’s starter in 2025-26. But he wound up falling behind Keaton Wagler on the depth chart (obviously through no fault of his own).

Despite being extremely skilled, Petrovic may not have the size or physicality necessary to flourish in the college game. The most likely scenario has Petrovic returning to the international game.

Illinois on SI prediction: Mihailo Petrovic goes overseas.

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Brandon Lee

Jan 8, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Brandon Lee (1) drives the ball around Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Lino Mark (2) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

A former top-100 recruit, Lee isn’t short on talent. He’s big, strong, can really get to the…

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Publish date : 2026-05-03 18:23:00

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