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The Illinois Fighting Illini got some tough news earlier this week as rising sophomore forward Greg Eboigbodin announced that he would be transferring from the program. It’s another blow for head coach Brad Underwood as he tries to build up things in Champaign.
Spicy G is transferring. #Illini https://t.co/MfS1LA3dDe
— The Champaign Room (@Champaign_Room) June 7, 2018
Eboigbodin originally committed to Illinois a year ago as a late addition to Underwood’s first class. While there weren’t huge expectations for him with the program, fans hoped that he could solidify a thin roster and grow into a productive player. Both seemed like reasonable goals for a prospect who had not received massive recruiting interest.
As a freshman, Eboigbodin played in 29 games and averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. His best performance likely came in a tight road loss to Michigan, where he finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of action. However, his playing time faded toward the end of the season.
With his departure, Illinois will now be particularly thin upfront. Eboigbodin was set to be the team’s most experienced returning big man, which is saying a lot given that he only would have been a sophomore. Underwood and his staff will now likely be forced into playing small ball for the duration of next season.
Illinois will still have plenty of solid options heading into next season, but there’s no denying that Eboigbodin’s transfer is disappointing news for fans.