Portal perusal: Javian McCollum
Apr. 12—Each day, beat writer Scott Richey spotlights a player in the transfer portal and how they would fit at Illinois:
Introducing ... Javian McCollum
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 170
Position: Guard
Where he's coming from: McCollum had to contend with a veteran backcourt when he arrived at Siena in 2021-22. It meant a smaller role off the bench for the Fort Myers, Fla., native. A role that turned into a starting spot this past season as the lead guard for the Saints. McCollum started 25 of the 27 games he played in 2022-23 and led Siena in scoring (15.9 ppg) and assists (3.9 apg). He did it fairly efficiently, too, shooting 43 percent overall, 36 percent from three-point range and 89 percent at the free-throw line.
How he'd fit in C-U: Because it's already worked in the Big Ten? McCollum is not the same kind of player as now-former Penn State guard Jalen Pickett — forget about booty ball — but there's clearly precedent for a Siena guard transferring up and thriving in the Big Ten. While McCollum has reportedly prioritized Oklahoma, Nebraska, Creighton, Central Florida and South Florida in his portal process, Illinois has a similar pitch to make. There are minutes to be had on the 2023-24 Illini roster for a lead guard despite the Monday commitments from Marcus Domask and Justin Harmon. Illinois needs someone to run its offense. McCollum fits the bill.
What they're saying: "I just don't agree with it, but I've got to use that as motivation going into the tournament and put that forth on the court and play with all I've got and hopefully get to the (NCAA) tournament. I'm not going to say where I should have been, but as you can tell, the season I had ... ." — McCollum after he was named Third Team All-MAAC
