A few weeks ago, I went through ex-Illini players plying their trade around the world, seeing where they are playing and how they are doing. It is time to check in on the Illini playing (mostly) in the United
States. With the international version, I power ranked the players based on best destination to live/visit. Since I have no interest in parsing the pros and cons of Sioux Falls, Grand Rapids and Hoffman Estates, I will be ordering this group purely by how well they are playing.
Before we begin, I just wanted to provide a quick update to the Internation Illini list and a few players I missed:
- It seemed like Marcus Domask was coming back to the G-League after a stint in Frankfurt, Germany with the Fraport Skyliners because Wikipedia told me he was going to the Santa Cruz Warriors. However, after further investigation, Santa Cruz traded for his rights IF he were to come back to the G League, but he is still on the Skyliners. He has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury.
- Omar Payne might not be remembered by many (including me initially) after just one season with a small role, but he is now playing professionally in Athens for Peristeri. He has become a more impactful player abroad than he ever was in college basketball, averaging seven points and five rebounds a game for the mid-table team.
- Jacob Grandison is playing for Boulazac in France, after playing in Finland last year. He also played for the Finnish National team in FIBA competition, as apparently his mother is Finnish. He has been out since late September with an injury I cannot find any information about.
Not-S0-Honorable Mention
Brandin Podziemski was an Illini, but more than most others who transfer out of the program, has gone out of his way to slight Underwood and the Illini when he gets the chance, so he does not get included as an Illini. Morez Johnson and Jayden Epps will likely get the same treatment when they go pro. Podz is playing well for the Warriors, though, as a sometimes starter.
13. Quincy Guerrier, Toronto 905
Quincy has started the year with a toe injury and has yet to play. He was a solid contributor for them last year, averaging 10.8 points per game and 5.7 rebounds, before moving over to the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Basketball League to make some extra scratch over the summer.
12. Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Windy City Bulls
After briefly signing for Petrolina AEK in Cyprus this fall and playing a grand total of one game, Giorgi decided to ditch the beach for the Woodfield Mall. In his return to the G League, Giorgi B has played 17 minutes per game with 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He has been living the globetrotting life since leaving Illinois, as he is now on his ninth team in five countries over the past four years. If he started a travel show called Giorgi B’s AMAZING Basketball Tour, I’d watch it.
11. Luke Goode, South Bay Lakers
Lucky Luke has knocked a big one off his career bucket list: he has gotten to be teammates with LeBron James. Well, he got to practice with James for a week at least while the NBA legend rehabbed his sciatica. Goode was given a training camp contract with the South Bay Lakers, and was able to do enough to earn a roster spot for the Tip-Off Tournament. So far, he is averaging 8 points a game in 16.7 minutes per game, while shooting 42% from three. Being tall and shooting threes at a high percentage will give Luke a long career abroad if he wants it.
Since LeBron moved back to the Lakers, Luke now gets to sit on the bench and watch Bronny James brick a bunch of threes on his way to a whopping seven points in 34 minutes.
10. Coleman Hawkins, Grand Rapids Gold
Playing for the Nuggets G League affiliate, Coleman Hawkins just needs more minutes to show he is the pyrite version of Nikola Jokic. In 19 minutes per game, he is filling up most of the stat sheet, with 4.5 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game, and 0.6 blocks per game. Unfortunately, the one stat he is missing is scoring, as he is only putting up 4.4 points per game on awful 42/21/29 shooting percentages.
If he could improve his shooting to respectable, there could be a dabble in the NBA in his future. Things might be looking up, as Coleman started their most recent game and flirted with a triple-double at seven points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
9. Dain Dainja, Sioux Falls Skyforce
What the heck is a Skyforce? And why do the Miami Heat have their affiliate play in Sioux Falls? For Dainja, it might not be a bad landing spot, only a few hours from home for the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native.
Also, Miami is notorious for molding underappreciated prospects into NBA players. Their conditioning demands are notoriously harsh, so any baby fat Dainja still has after working with Fletch will disappear, or the Dancing Bear will end up somewhere else.
So far, Dainja is averaging 11.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in 23.4 minutes per game. Beyond playing with Kasparas, he is kicking it with a number of ex-Big Ten foes, headlined by Illini killer Jahmir Young.
8. Tevian Jones, South Bay Lakers
Blast from the past here. After two non-descript years (minus one awesome game against Maryland) with the Illini, Tevian Jones transferred down to Southern Utah where he could be a star.
He has been bouncing around the G League the past three years and is currently playing over Luke Goode on the wing. Jones is averaging 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 24 minutes per game.
7. RJ Melendez, Mexico City Capitanes
The Capitanes are an interesting experiment, having joined the G League in the 2021-22 season. Their roster — instead of being a Frankenstein’s monster of ex-collegiate stars with holes in their game keeping them out of the NBA — is a Latino centric roster, with professionals coming from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. One notable exception is ex-Northwestern star Boo Buie.
RJ Melendez is finding more success so far in the G League than he ever did at the collegiate level, averaging 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 27 minutes. Three-point shooting is still holding him back from the ceiling a player with his athletic profile could have, shooting just 33% from three.
6. Justin Harmon, Salt Lake City Stars
You are probably surprised to see Harmon this high on the list? A role player on the Illini’s Elite Eight run in 2023-24, Harmon continued that role last year in his first year as a pro. He has taken a big jump up in production to start this year though, averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists on a scorching 55% from the field and 40% from three.
The Stars are weirdly a reunion spot for last year’s Wisconsin Badgers, as John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit are all on the roster, along with national champion Walter Clayton, former National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, and the somehow-still-bouncing-around lottery bust Mo Bamba.
5. Malcolm Hill, Delaware Blue Coats
The only player on this list dating back to the John Groce years, Malcolm Hill is still a bucket at 30 years old. He is averaging 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in 32.7 minutes. He is shooting 47% from the field and 42% from three.
Hill was in preseason with the Philadelphia 76ers and has previous NBA experience, so with the way he is playing he could be just an injury away from his next 10-day contract.
4. Will Riley, Washington Wizards
Finally, we get to the NBA part of the countdown. Being in the league is being in the league, but Riley is in a tough spot. He is playing for one of the most incompetent franchises out there, and is barely seeing the court, despite the Wizards already being in full tank mode at 1-15.
He is mostly playing in blowout losses, averaging 7 minutes and 2.2 points per game. I wish the Wizards would either send him down to the G League and let him cook or let him take his lumps on a team that isn’t going anywhere but the top of the lottery again.
3. Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami Heat
Riley has actually had a bigger NBA impact so far, but Kasparas getting to be a part of a real organization that knows how to develop players puts him higher on the list. KJ has gotten off to a rough start to his career, injuring his wrist (again) in preseason before dealing with a groin injury in the early season.
Miami’s front office decided it would be best to get him some time to rehab up in Sioux Falls with the Skyforce and Dain Dainja. Kasparas played four games there, averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 steals before getting called back up to the big leagues on Saturday. His shooting has gone awry though, with averages of just 38.5% from the field, 22.2% from three and 64% from the free throw line. Hopefully he can find his footing in a blowout win or two in the next couple weeks.
2. Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves
After a few strong performances in the playoffs for the Timberwolves last year, there was some hope for an increased role in Shannon’s sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, he has gotten off to a slow start and missed time dealing with a bone bruise, while finding himself deep in Minnesota’s rotation once again.
TSJ just returned on Monday with seven minutes after missing a couple weeks. To earn more minutes, he will need to get back to finishing at the rim, as he is somehow shooting just 29% on two-pointers on the young season. It is a long season though, and he displayed the ability to be impactful last year, if he can get healthy and stay healthy his time will come to have an impact in the rotation of a playoff contender.
1. Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls
The player who led the charge of the Illini’s resurgence to relevancy continues to be the standard bearer for Illini in the NBA as well. Already in his fifth year in the league, Ayo has started the season shooting the cover off the ball for the frisky run-and-gun Bulls and was recently inserted into the starting lineup.
Dos is averaging 16.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 56.3% from the field and 47.5% from three. While those percentages might not be entirely sustainable, Ayo is playing himself into a nice payday headed into free agency next summer.
