The Illinois basketball program is coming off a stellar 2023-24 season run. The Fighting Illini earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced as far as the Elite 8. Illinois is restructuring its roster, and the team has a chance to land Champaign native and Arizona basketball guard Kylan Boswell after his college basketball transfer portal decision.

Boswell entered the transfer portal after two seasons at Arizona, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello. The sophomore took a step forward in 2023-24. After averaging 4.6 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds during his freshman year, he leapt to 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds.

Moreover, Boswell has been a part of some impressive Arizona basketball squads. The team went 28-7 during his freshman year and earned the South Region's No. 2 March Madness seed. Arizona shockingly lost to Princeton 59-55 in the first round.

One year later, Boswell found himself as a larger contributor and helped the team go 27-9 for the top spot in the Pac-12. Once again, Arizona earned the second seed in the South Region. This time, the squad advanced to the Sweet 16 but lost 77-72 to the sixth-seeded Clemson Tigers.

Arizona has been unable to make as deep of a run as they hoped during Boswell's tenure. Thus, it is fitting for him to test his luck in the college basketball transfer portal in search of newfound success.

The question on Illinois basketball fans' minds is, would Kylan Boswell return to his hometown to play in Champaign? The Illini could certainly use his abilities with the departure of key players. Most notably, Terrence Shannon Jr. will likely go to the NBA, leaving an Illinois guard spot open.

Illinois will need more than Boswell to reach the heights they got to in 2023-24, but the program's future bright.

Illinois basketball can reload with Boswell, other key contributors

The Fighting Illini had one of their best postseason showings in program history in 2024. Illinois ended nearly a 20-year drought when they advanced to the Sweet 16 with their 89-63 victory over the Duquesne Dukes. The last time the program got as far was in 2005 when they advanced to the national title game before losing to North Carolina.

Head Coach Brad Underwood said the 2023-24 squad was his “favorite group” to coach after their impressive year. Despite Illinois losing 77-52 to UConn in the Elite 8, Underwood felt “blessed” to be in a position to lead the team all year.

Underwood's optimism should seamlessly translate to 2024-25, especially considering the prospects the team is bringing in.

Illinois ranks 20th in the nation for its Class of 2024 recruiting efforts, per 247 Sports. The class is headlined by Morez Johnson, who ranks 28th on the 2024 ESPN 100 list.

If the Illini can get production from their incoming class, hold on to some contributors from their Elite 8 run, and add pieces like Arizona basketball's Kylan Boswell, they could have another impressive year in store.

Of course, things will not get easier in the Big 10. Four Pac-12 teams are joining the conference in 2024, and the programs already there will reload for improved showings.

All in all, it will be interesting to see how things look in Champaign going into the 2024 offseason.