Aug. 18—Turns out rosters aren't quite finalized for the 2026-27 college basketball season, with more former Class of 2022 players suing their way into one more season. That group includes one former Illini, Skyy Clark, who could be one of nine former Illinois players on college hoops rosters this coming season.
Let's take a look at who's playing where ...
Carey Booth, Colorado State
The Mountain West Conference was a fit for Booth, who averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Rams last season. He even knocked down 40.7 percent of his 86 three-point attempts. Little has changed for th 6-foot-10 forward other than conference affiliation. Can he be that productive in a new-look Pac-12?
Skyy Clark, LSU
Clark committed to Will Wade and the Tigers late last week. Whether the former Illinois/Louisville/UCLA guard actually plays in Baton Rouge, La., is the question. Clark is counting on a temporary injunction to hold and grant him his fifth year of eligibility. Wade is probably hoping for that, too. LSU's roster currently has more coaches listed (five) than players (four, not including Clark), as zero of their international imports haven't been cleared.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Texas Tech
Did Gibbs-Lawhorn role just shrink? Maybe so. Texas Tech got better when Darrion Williams decided to use his newly-granted fifth year of eligibility to return to Lubbock, Texas. Doing so, however, puts him in a role that supersedes the former Illinois/UNLV guard. A healthy JT Toppin is still the Red Raiders' No. 1 option, but until he's back from his torn ACL, Williams is probably that guy. That leaves Gibbs-Lawhorn, who led the Mountain West in scoring last season, in a tier with Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis, who led the CAA in scoring in 2025-26.
Amani Hansberry, Virginia Tech
Hansberry will play a second season in Blacksburg, Va., after starting all 30 games for the Hokies in 2025-26. Year one at Virginia Tech doubled as the most productive of Hansberry's career. The 6-8 forward set new career highs across the boarding, averaging 14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Hansberry led the Hokies in scoring last season and should do the same this year after Neoklis Avdalas transferred to North Carolina.
Sencire Harris, Eastern Michigan
Harris was in the transfer portal a long time before signing with the Eagles on July 31. The former Illinois/West Virginia/Cincinnati guard entered the portal in April after the Bearcats' coaching change and was in limbo before landing at Eastern Michigan. Based on the pair of exhibition games Eastern Michigan played in Canada last week, Harris' role might not be much different than it was in Champaign or Morgantown, W.Va., or Cincinnati — defend first, score ... maybe.
Brandon Lee, James Madison
Lee should have a much bigger role with the Dukes than he did last season at Illinois. One, that shouldn't be all that difficult given he played so sparingly for the Illini. Two, he was a four-star recruit out of high school for a reason. Lee topped 2,000 career points at The Patrick School (N.J.), and James Madison coach Preston Spradlin after losing two of his top three scorers to graduation and the third, Justin McBride, to Kentucky.
Nico Moretti, Lamar
Moretti was on the move again this offseason after spending the previous two at Florida Atlantic. The 6-1 guard started 15 times in his time in Boca Raton, Fla., but played primarily off the bench in his 67 games with the Owls — a two-season stretch he averaged six points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds. Moretti will be part of a new-look backcourt at Lamar following what amounted to a wholesale roster rebuild. Zero rotation players return for the Cardinals, with Moretti projected as a top contributor alongside Jeremiah Jones (Duquesne), Quante Berry (Memphis) and Filip Radakovic (UT Martin).
Mihailo Petrovic, Seton Hall
Seton Hall also doesn't have its 2026-27 roster finalized, but Petrovic did commit to the Pirates in early July. How the 23-year-old Serbian point guard will fit in South Orange, N.J., has a similar feel to his first — and only — season at Illinois. Keaton Wagler's breakout and Kylan Boswell's presence kept Petrovic on the bench for the Illini. Seton Hall also seems to have other options at guard in transfers Roddie Anderson III (Xavier), Simeon Wilcher (Texas) and Del Jones (Radford).
Ty Rodgers, Boise State
Will Rodgers suit up for the Broncos when the 2026-27 season starts? That's unclear. The 6-6 guard/forward, who redshirted at Illinois in 2024-25 and missed all of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury suffered another in Boise State's first week of summer workouts in June. The latest injury was reported as being "significant," and no timetable was given for any potential return. Rodgers was a projected starter for the Broncos, but there's no telling when he'll get on the floor again.
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