By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

April 14, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Arizona Athletics)

As the saying goes, you never - EVER - burn a bridge.  Especially in today's world of college basketball.

Veteran guard Kylan Boswell has announced he will transfer to the Illinois program next season, ending a courtship that has been years in the making.

Illini coach Brad Underwood and his staff began courting Boswell, who grew up rooting for the Orange and Blue as a youngster living in Champaign, during his junior year in high school.  Boswell eventually picked the Wildcats, but now returns home after two seasons in Tucson.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 assists for the Pac-12 champs this season, but proved he can shoot it from deep by hitting 38 percent of his attempts from the three-point arc.

Boswell entered the transfer portal on Monday and Illinois wasted no time reaching out to him and his family with head coach Brad Underwood taking the lead on his recruitment.

He will be part of a new-look Illini lineup as the Big Ten tournament champions look to rebuild after their first Elite Eight appearance in nearly two decades.  That starts with replacing All-Big Ten first teamer and All-American Terrence Shannon Jr., who tore through the Illinois record books this past season.  Boswell will compete for playing time with rising sophomores Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Nico Moretti as well as Sencire Harris, who has three years remaining after redshirting this season to focus his time on the weight room.  We also may see Big Ten second-teamer Marcus Domask return for a sixth season if his petition for a waiver is granted by the NCAA.

He's the third player to join the Illini out of the transfer portal, after Jake Davis from Mercer and former Louisville wing Tre White.