With Kasparas Jakučionis and Will Riley set to declare for the NBA Draft this summer, the Illinois basketball program and coach Brad Underwood are reportedly hard at work in an attempt to reload for this coming season.
In doing so, the Fighting Illini are reportedly returning to their bag of tricks. Former LSU and Arizona State guard Adam Miller, a Peoria, Ill., native, began his career in Champaign in 2020 as he helped lead Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament championship win against Ohio State.
According to League Ready, Miller entered the transfer portal last Sunday. One possible landing spot is a Champaign reunion with Underwood, which, according to Illini Inquirer's Derek Piper, could be upwards of $1 million.
"I think he's probably going to announce [his decision] any day now," Piper said about Miller Friday afternoon. "I don't know when his decision is gonna be [made]. I've been digging really hard the last two days to find out. I've been told by somebody close to, if not in his camp, that within 24 hours as of [Thursday] thought that he might land on a decision."
Despite the intrigue to return close to home, two other schools, the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears, are also interested in snagging "Ace Wolf."
"These are tough," Piper said. "These are tough to land on a choice when you've got one season left and you got good options on the table. Maybe there's even some last-minute jockeying for position in terms of money and that kind of thing."
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Without giving a firm stance, Piper said Illinois has done its due diligence regarding its best offer.
"If what I've been told is correct, it's near a million dollars," Piper said.
Piper predicts Illinois won't be "the highest bidder" among the three programs, meaning Miller will likely make a gut-check decision that could leave Underwood and Co. scratching their heads.
Either way, the next few days should be interesting for Miller as he attempts to revitalize a career scarred by inconsistency, injuries, and team movement.
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