Illinois basketball fans were pretty upset in recent days thanks to the news that key contributors Morez Johnson and Tre White were entering the transfer portal, with Johnson then sticking the dagger in further by committing to Michigan. However, the Fighting Illini got some good news when Ty Rodgers, who surprisingly redshirted this past season, announced his return to the program on Tuesday.
Given it was April Fools' Day, Illinois basketball made sure it was known that this announcement was no “joke.”
Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood doubled down with a post of his own.
This is certainly a pleasant surprise for the Illinois basketball program amid some key losses. Rodgers started all 38 games in the 2023-24 season, which culminated in the Fighting Illini's first Elite Eight berth since the 2004-05 season. While the final result was an ugly loss at the hands of UConn, the hope was Illinois could use the run as a springboard for even more success, with Rodgers playing a key role.
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However, nearly the entire roster turned over this past season, with Rodgers not returning to play either because of his redshirt decision. Underwood spoke about it at the start of the season, via Yahoo Sports.
“I think it was an opportunity that he felt, and we felt, that he could continue to grow in terms of his game offensively,” Underwood said. “There’s not a sweeter, nicer young man. Kind heart, good human being, does everything right, will be a coach to these guys but just has some areas of his game that he wants to continue to work and we support that. Development is what we’ve hung our hat on in this program and he knows he’s got a great group of coaches to help him do that. It’s always a loss when you lose a guy who started every game off an Elite Eight Team… I think he’s excited about the next step and his development as I am well.”
Illinois basketball went through a roller-coaster campaign in 2024-25, with high highs and low lows. The Fighting Illini ultimately won their first game of the NCAA Tournament by beating Xavier before losing to Kentucky in Round 2.
Underwood will have a lot of work to do to rebuild his roster yet again. Along with the transfer portal exits, Kasparas Jakucionis will be off to the NBA, with Will Riley possibly following him. But Ty Rodgers returning is big, and the hope is not only that star center Tomislav Ivicic is back but his brother joins him in Champaign.
