Illinois didn't take long to make a transfer portal splash. A day after Illinois lost All-American freshman guard Keaton Wagler to the NBA Draft, Providence transfer guard Stefan Vaaks committed to the Illini to help fill that massive hole as a playmaking guard to help run the Illini's elite offense.
With the Illini shooting to (and expecting to) retain its Final Four frontcourt and wings, the Illinois staff has kept a narrow focus on star transfer guards and quickly hit on one of their two top targets in Vaaks, a consensus top-15 transfer portal prospect: No. 9 on ESPN, No. 10 on The Athletic and No. 13 on 247Sports.
While Vaaks has differences with Wagler, the Illini see Vaaks as a fantastic option as a role replacement for Wagler. Vaaks was a Big East All-Freshman Team selection after averaging 15.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds last season. He's got a stronger frame than Wagler, but he relied far more on his outside shooting than Wagler, who had double the amount of attempts at the rim (146) than Vaaks (64) last season and had a much higher free-throw rate.
But like Wagler, Vaaks is a long (6-foot-7) primary playmaker who can handle a high-usage role yet be efficient thanks to elite shot-making ability, efficient finishing at the rim and a low turnover rate.
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