as we are out of the NCAA tournament in the first weekend The Illinois basketball season did not turn out the way anyone had wanted it to You could feel the Illini floundering mid-season Injuries and illness kicked off the rough run and it was capped off by a disappointing loss in the second round of the Big Dance While this tough season had a lot of bad spots there were a few good things that happened throughout the course of those few months are things that the Illinois fanbase could glom on to We could rally behind someone like Johnson because he did the little things and the unflashy things that aren’t necessarily going to get you a ton of screen time Everyone knew that the transfer portal could rear its ugly head there was always one player who I thought wouldn’t transfer Now, transferring after his sophomore season there was no way Johnson was going to be a one-and-done at Illinois My rationale for this thought was that Johnson wasn’t a late commitment to Illinois. This kid was a member of the class of 2024. Remember that, 2024. Johnson committed to Illinois back in November 2021 Johnson remained committed to Brad Underwood and the Illini but it is like seeing a unicorn and a pig flying around the sky nowadays Being committed to Illinois for three years, and then spending an entire season with the program, I thought there was no way he was departing. Boy howdy, was I wrong. I thought it was a sure thing that Johnson was coming back, but not only is he not coming back to Illinois, he was the first player in the program who averaged over 1.2 points per game to leave the team I swung and missed on my opinion about what was going to happen with Johnson a player who has been with the program for essentially four years Someone is going to come with a bag of money and dump it in their lap it wouldn’t shock me to see every other Illinois player enter the transfer portal Is it really going to be every season that Illinois has a completely different team that is zero fun from this fan’s perspective I have zero connection to any of the players we will get to see some of the usual faces in Orange and Blue next season © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"68","src":"69","url":"6a"},{"type":"67","value":"6b"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"6e","url":"6f"},{"type":"6d","value":"6g"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands You could feel the Illini floundering mid-season Now, transferring after his sophomore season My rationale for this thought was that Johnson wasn’t a late commitment to Illinois. This kid was a member of the class of 2024. Remember that, 2024. Johnson committed to Illinois back in November 2021 Being committed to Illinois for three years, and then spending an entire season with the program, I thought there was no way he was departing. Boy howdy, was I wrong. I thought it was a sure thing that Johnson was coming back, but not only is he not coming back to Illinois, he was the first player in the program who averaged over 1.2 points per game to leave the team Illinois basketball got hit with the transfer portal on Friday night and it makes me wonder who is actually going to stay this time around CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr is out indefinitely after breaking his wrist while making a spectacular block over the weekend Coach Brad Underwood announced the severity of Johnson's injury Monday Underwood said the injury occurred when Johnson fell to the floor after blocking a shot during Illinois' 79-65 loss to No The injury means Johnson won't be available Tuesday when Illinois (17-9 "I feel terrible for that young man," Underwood told reporters It's one of the best I've seen in a long time Underwood said Johnson's potential return date is uncertain he hit the floor pretty hard and was tough enough to bounce up and just say "That impacted a couple of his close misses at the rim as well late in the game we'll strap it up and have to move forward without his presence." Although Johnson averages just 17.8 minutes per game he has averaged 6.6 rebounds to rank second on the team The 6-foot-9 freshman has averaged 7.2 points and 1.1 blocks per game in 26 appearances Illinois big man Morez Johnson Jr. will transfer to Michigan, as first reported by Joe Tipton Johnson is a former top-40 recruit who was an impact player as a freshman at Illinois He averaged 7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game with stints starting and coming off the bench He opted to hit the transfer portal over the weekend and became an immediate priority for the Wolverines as they look to replenish their frontcourt Johnson is the second transfer to commit to Michigan this cycle, joining North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau Here’s a full breakdown of the new Michigan big You can join UM Hoops for 50% off, just $2 per month, with promo code POSTSEASON and unlock exclusive content. Sign up today for coverage throughout the season. Join the UM Hoops community today and access our exclusive content Subscribe Today With just a few days until the transfer portal closes UCLA big man Aday Mara will transfer to Michigan Michigan freshman guard Durral ‘Phat Phat’ Brooks is entering the transfer portal It’s time for our monthly subscriber ‘Ask Me Anything!’ Any member can ask a.. Michigan wing Nimari Burnett will be back for another season in Ann Arbor Johnson, a 6-9 forward finished his freshman season with the Illini Johnson averaged seven points and 6.7 rebounds in 17 minutes per game The former Fighting Illini doesn't have an outside game he didn't attempt a single 3-point shot this season but he is an athletic big who isn't afraid to bang around in the paint Johnson led Illinois' team shooting 64.2% from the field The Wolverines aren't done looking for big men. Michigan is right in the mix of things for the top-ranked player in the portal but landing Johnson is a step in the right direction for Dusty May and Michigan First Elliot Cadeau and now Morez Johnson Jr. @umichbball wasting no time reloading https://t.co/mwMcKkCYRH Committed almost 5 years ago to the program.Went to Illini games for years and received standing ovations from the whole stadium.Started almost half the games his freshman year.Played 20 minutes a game as a freshman.No loyalty If you would have told me a year ago Morez Johnson would go the villain route I would have laughed in your face. No way. Not a guy from Illinois that has been all about Illinois, got huge minutes as a freshman, huge opportunities as a freshman, etc.Insanity. https://t.co/WlRvfuQXRW Morez Johnson received less money from Michigan than what Illinois was willing to offer. The 6’8 PF was misled by his inner circle. NBA scouts agree. Illinois has a dominating 93-73 overall winning record against Michigan and has won the last nine games in a row. Downgraded. pic.twitter.com/HwngHTIuem #illini My reaction to Morez Johnson to Michigan pic.twitter.com/XfraFXcbcp Morez Johnson Jr is a BALLER🔥 pic.twitter.com/8fpRtTyqsD Morez Johnson Jr (@morezjohnsonJr) is bound to be a fan favorite this season for #Michigan.High energy, High motor, one of the most physical and arguably best rebounders in the Big Ten. An absolute win for May and his staff. https://t.co/txwXATCErO Morez Johnson has committed to Michigan 〽️The 6’9 Forward averaged 7PPG this year and has a lot of potential, #6 PF in the Transfer portal.Dusty May is COOKING 🔥 🧑‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/iH9eBi5KpZ BREAKING: Illinois transfer Morez Johnson is transferring to Michigan. Second high level transfer for Dusty May and the staff after landing Elliot Cadeau.Averaged 7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks this season.Story: https://t.co/YcK2HLIckt pic.twitter.com/SA4fOR8bQh Lose Tre Donaldson and get Morez Johnson in the same day… was this a net positive or net negative day for Michigan? https://t.co/nDWinoMXUp Johnson should remind Michigan fans of Tarris Reed Jr., when watching his rebounding ability and his motor. When healthy, Morez was one of the best rebounders in college basketball. https://t.co/X8gBvDx8v4 - Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI - Michigan basketball starter hits the transfer portal ESPN names best NFL fit for Michigan football CB Will Johnson CBS Sports expects a worse season for Michigan football than many might think For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics: Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates The Illini hope to get the freshman big man back soon — Illinois could be on the verge of getting a key member of its rotation back just in time for the postseason has missed the last four games after suffering a broken left wrist against Michigan State on Feb The Illini big man was ruled out indefinitely but head coach Brad Underwood indicated following the game against Duke that he hoped to have him back for the Big Ten Tournament that begins next week in Indianapolis According to a report by Jon Rothstein on Friday Illinois big man Morez Johnson (wrist) is out of a cast per Brad Underwood.Still no set timetable on his return but there should be a more firm update in a few days.Has not played since 2/15.Averages 7.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG Underwood confirmed as much during media availability on Friday and added that Johnson will soon undergo a new scan that will determine whether or not he will be cleared to return to team activities in full Underwood indicated that Johnson has been focused on regaining his conditioning everything is conditioning,” Underwood said The cast if off so it’s just hand exercises and movement-type stuff.” Should Johnson be cleared for contact practicing the process would need to continue to ramp up before he’d be ready to return to live game action While he’s recently begun to return to certain physical activities none have involved situations where the wrist could be put at risk in any way “He’ll have a busy few days from the conditioning side of it He’s done quite a bit with one hand...but we haven’t been able to put him in any position where he could possibly fall,” Underwood said With five days between games following Friday’s matchup against Purdue before Illinois will suit up for its first game at the Big Ten Tournament on March 13 Underwood detailed how Johnson’s status has been a key factor in determining how Illinois will balance using that time for both practice opportunities and rest While the Illini certainly want to take advantage of the extra time to recharge entering what hopes to be an extended postseason run maximizing all the reps they can get with Johnson on the floor particularly following some recent scheme changes We need some actual practice time and court time getting his timing back and getting him into the flow of things if that’s allowed to happen,” Underwood said He had entered the starting lineup and started eight consecutive games before suffering the injury including a 17-point performance against the Spartans in the game it occurred Re-inserting Johnson into the rotation would be a huge boost particularly on the glass and defensive end while bolstering the Illini’s frontcourt depth alongside Tomislav Ivisic the Illini could find themselves at full strength right in time for both the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament “We’re hopeful and praying for a positive scan,” Underwood said The Michigan basketball program has landed its second big fish from the transfer portal in as many days Morez Johnson Jr. 225-pound freshman from Illinois has committed to the Wolverines a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Free Press on condition on anonymity because it's not official Johnson averaged seven points and 6.7 rebounds last season for the Illini and was incredibly efficient around the rim shooting 64.2% on the season in 17 minutes per night It's now the second major acquisition for Dusty May and company in the portal in as many days, after they landed former five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina on Monday. Johnson reportedly also had offers from Kansas This in particular is an important pickup for the Wolverines who enter the offseason under the impression they likely have to replace both halves of their starting frontcourt known as Area-51 is out of eligibility and plans to declare for the NBA draft The expectation internally is also that forward Danny Wolf who put up 13.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per night will test the NBA waters and put his name in the draft as well BIG NEWS: Tre Donaldson, Michigan basketball's starting point guard, enters transfer portal While Will Tschetter told the Free Press he “absolutely” intends to return next season following the team’s season ending loss to Auburn there’s a massive void in the big man rotation that Johnson will fill Though he was injured when Illinois defeated U-M in Ann Arbor last year the freshman big had a very solid first season at the power-five level He had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Penn State 14 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Ohio State and scored 17 points in a loss to Michigan State While these performances were the outliers Johnson went to Illinois with notable fanfare Illinois native (Thorton Township High School) was the home state’s top rated player Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr sat out only five games and less than four weeks because of a broken wrist – a drop in the bucket given that a terrified lIlini Nation and rebounding fans everywhere initially feared he might be done for the season did Illinois ever miss him while he was gone who was averaging 6.6 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes the Illini had been a broad-shouldered force on the boards They led Division I in rebounding margin for much of the season compiling a plus-11.5 mark through 25 games Including the Michigan State game in which Johnson was hurt and hampered Illinois was outrebounded in four of six games plummeting to a minus-3 rebounding margin during that span One of those games came against Iowa only two weeks ago a fact that was easy to overlook in an 81-61 Illinois win Would the Illini struggle on the glass against the Hawkeyes again especially with Johnson in just his first game back and expected to need time to ramp up his play and minutes We should know better than to doubt Johnson by now Johnson powered up from the paint against a helpless Hawkeyes defender corralled an offensive rebound and flipped it through the rim for a putback bucket He went on to grab five more offensive rebounds and eight total – in just 11 minutes of floor time Welcome back, @morezjohnsonJr!Morez pulls down an offensive rebound and puts it back up for a tough 2 If there is such a thing as a spectacular lunchpail performance Yet even Illini coach Brad Underwood wasn't sure what to expect of Johnson against the Hawkeyes "I was really concerned about him maybe overthinking things," Underwood said He only had two days in practice with some of the defensive changes we've made." The hope is that it's just a preview of an even bigger (and more critical) performance against Maryland big men Derik Queen and Julian Reese who destroyed the Illini interior defense in a January matchup in which center Tomislav Ivisic wasn't available "I thought he was fantastic," Underwood said of Johnson against the Hawkeyes Johnson and the seventh-seeded Illini will face the second-seeded Terrapins on Friday at approximately 5:30 p.m To read this full article and more, subscribe now — Get access to this article and all of the in-depth coverage from the 247Sports Network with this special offer Already a subscriber? Login CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and 247Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event This site contains commercial content and 247Sports may be compensated for the links provided on this site Illinois freshman big man Morez Johnson announced his intention to enter the transfer portal NEWS: Illinois big man Morez Johnson has entered the transfer portal, per a @247Sports source.Averaged 7.0 PPG, 6.7 RPGand 1.1 BPG this season. pic.twitter.com/h47NWVFrLE first reported by Travis Branham of 247Sports sent shockwaves through Illini media and fandom Any premature forecasting of the 2025-26 Illini focused on the potentially conference-topping frontcourt of Morez Johnson and Tomislav Ivisic that combination has played its final collegiate game together Johnson averaged almost 7 rebounds per game in just under 18 minutes Before you start your balderdash about how Morez isn’t a major loss because he is a non-shooter So Johnson has the opportunity to develop into a dominant glass eater capable of shifting major games in their most difficult moments But for a program built around its ability to rebound effectively that’s a bullet to the head of the Illini identity This is a resourceful staff with allegedly deep pockets They have proven to be a top-15 talent acquisition machine this isn’t a story about talent acquisition Do you know what other students can pick up and transfer whenever they want The rest of the students at all of the colleges and universities in the nation Allowing student-athletes the freedom to choose their destination and itinerary is no different than what other students get to do So why is a student like Morez choosing a better option for himself and his family so egregious Is it because you want what’s best for the young man or do you just want what’s best for you as a fan you say Morez is making the wrong decision he’d have a bigger role and make a lot of money Let’s try a hypothetical scenario since you already have demonstrated that you enjoy residing in a land of make-believe and magic and were excited to be molded by that company’s leadership Your entire hiring journey had been shepherded by a person you consider your mentor You had a close relationship with that mentor for years They have guided you in your career and a resource for you outside of work that mentor has a massive disagreement with the CEO and is let go from the company joining the organization and hoping the promises that were made to you upon your signing your employment agreement will still be met The new guy came from a smaller company but upper management thought he had potential They thought his experience was more valuable than your talent So that person got the premium opportunities from day one And that new guy proceeded to consistently squander those opportunities Rival companies used him as an example of how your firm could be brutalized in the market Even though you were told that you would have a full opportunity at the new guy’s “spot,” you sit on the sidelines And when you get opportunities to make an impact So that should earn you more opportunities you were relegated to spectator duties while the guy who frequently couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn continued to get opportunity after opportunity And if your answer involves the words “by your bootstraps,” I don’t know what to say to you That story is an extended metaphor for what happened to Morez Johnson this season Ben Humrichous clearly has a higher level of experience and perimeter shooting proficiency But what good does that do when he’s largely ineffective Morez was committed to Illinois for three years yet was tossed aside for the flavor of the month I understand that it builds character and puts steel in your spine But repeating dumb decisions has the opposite impact on your mindset It makes you wonder (especially in your formative years) how unfair life really is When the responsible people surrounding you break their word (or at least change the terms) Morez Johnson’s freshman year wasn’t what he expected or planned he found a way to make chicken salad out of what was given to him If you don’t think players commit to assistant coaches you’re deluding yourself and living in a world full of wishful thinking Tim Anderson is an amazing trainer and teacher of the game But his connection to Tai Streets and his AAU program helped Illinois land Ty Rodgers Chin Coleman’s Mac Irvin Fire ties were central to Illinois landing Ayo Dosunmu and Adam Miller Orlando Antigua’s AAU/prep ties are too numerous to list here but in the tri-state area alone his relationships drove Illinois signing Kofi Cockburn The Curbelo recruitment is the most telling in this situation “I think he’s like a second dad to me.” This is what Curbelo said of Antigua Now explain to me again how players don’t commit to assistant coaches when relationships can run that deep Morez Johnson has a long-term connection with Tim Anderson things went sideways between Anderson and Illinois If your father figure were dismissed from your workplace BREAKING: Texas is hiring Xavier's Sean Miller as its next head basketball coach, @MattNorlander reports https://t.co/VCVaflDl8o pic.twitter.com/DfploeaoBT He had a valid contract with Xavier University "The chance to lead one of the biggest brands in college basketball was something I could not pass up." ️@IndianaMBB's new head coach Darian DeVries on why he chose the Hoosiers #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/wOa2spnuP6 He had a valid contract at West Virginia University Illinois hires Brad Underwood. The move was stunning, and the process that made it happen was smart and savvy. https://t.co/ZEiVX8WYmQ pic.twitter.com/R9CJKqe868 He had a valid contract at Oklahoma State University He told players and assistant coaches (even the ones under FBI investigation) that he would be there for them I didn’t see any Illini fans complaining about Illinois hiring a sitting head coach plenty of people wanted Archie Miller or Cuonzo Martin in that chair But nobody cared for the Pokes in the wake of Underwood’s decision Coaches break their commitments to players all the time They seek out greener pastures and bigger stages It’s kinda part and parcel of the American Dream: you are only limited by the constraints you self-impose it becomes a question of his loyalty to Illinois These are college “kids.” Their behavior should be more heavily regulated by the “free market” than the men in charge of guiding them They are adult enough to cast a ballot for the people who can send them to a war in which they are old enough to die None of you questioned the program’s loyalty to Morez once Is it because you think it is a one-way street And if Morez Johnson gets more money from another school His talent and hard work have put him in a position to profit from his talent and change the trajectory of his family Isn’t that what every parent wants: their children to have the chance to live their life on their terms and achieve success in their chosen field of endeavor Why is it okay for coaches to dip on players but not for players to seek upward mobility I am not sure why people make this particular argument I don’t know what it is about someone like Morez Johnson Jr going out into the world and seeking his best life that causes more butthurt than a plug-in spanking machine But I’ll let you sort that out on your own That’s the first almost reasonable thing the unwashed masses have uttered Illinois has a choice to make in roster construction Do you look to continue your massive rebounding edge if/when Tomislav Ivisic (RIGHTFULLY AND JUSTIFIABLY) puts his name in the NBA Draft to receive feedback please don’t blister him with the same rhetoric He absolutely has every right to examine his future prospects.) He should take what we know he’s good at and shut his mouth Let’s wrap this up with the lamp post scratchers who are mad that Morez Johnson wanted to do more than the role he had These are the same people complaining about his lack of shooting But when he wants to further develop his game and use these new skills outside of Ubben he’s told to just do what you tell him to do There is a quote (I haven’t heard Morez say it personally but the sentiment has been shared by multiple people) that Morez didn’t want his career to end up like Kofi Cockburn that made people angry with Morez for wanting something for himself how shameful that a young man would set specific goals for his own life instead of following in someone else’s footsteps Kofi Cockburn is an All-American and nothing shy of an Illini legend He had an amazing three seasons in Champaign and I am not trying to take anything away from him But maybe Morez defines his success as finding a different path Maybe he wants to evolve enough to stick on an NBA roster Maybe he wants to go play for a coach who sees more in him than he feels Brad Underwood does but vilifying the young man says more about you than it does about him appeared visibly unhappy and can almost certainly find another program that will make for a better fit This was a sucker punch to the solar plexus On Friday, another Illini frontcourt player hit the portal – and this time it was freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., as reported by 247Sports' Travis Branham The reaction from Illini Nation was a full swoon: Morez Johnson in the portal. Go find another one Brad & Co. pic.twitter.com/ObjZiMYUDR But before blaming the downfall of college basketball on a 19-year-old Johnson averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes as a freshman He played a specific role for coach Brad Underwood while most of his rotation teammates played a freewheeling Johnson has demonstrated his commitment to Illinois time and time again from when he first signed with the program as a sophomore at St Basketball senior season at Thornton through rushing back from a broken wrist during his first year in Champaign to give the Illini a needed push into tournament season Despite having entered the transfer portal Johnson currently remains a member of the Illini But if it does – if Johnson is truly gone – then Underwood may have only himself to blame College basketball rumors and innuendo come cheap on social media platforms and message boards but it's hardly a stretch to imagine Johnson not loving his role as a freshman Received a handful more post-up opportunities and those plans limited Johnson strictly to boards crashing and finishing in the dunker spot – despite arguably being capable of more As Big Ten Network analyst and former Illini guard Stephen Bardo told Illinois on SI barely a week into the season "I've seen Johnson shoot it in practice – he can shoot the three I don't know that Brad's allowing him to shoot it right now Balancing the good of the many with the aspirations of the few is nothing new in college basketball – or even at Illinois Those efforts will surely become even more difficult in the NIL era but the challenge is as old as the game itself It's more palatable to attribute the lack of player movement from past eras to "loyalty" and "sacrifice" rather than the NCAA's brand of indentured servitude If Johnson feels he wasn't allowed the opportunity to fully tap into his abilities in his first year of college basketball it could be argued that he should show patience enjoy campus life and the unbridled adoration of Illini fans There is always the chance that Johnson is simply keeping all his options open and could be talked into returning – or decide on his own that Illinois has an excellent chance to compete for a national title next season if it can minimize its offseason losses But given that he retweeted this post himself Morez Johnson committed to Illinois four years ago, is from Illinois, and got lots of minutes for a freshman. The dark side of the portal. https://t.co/kKSoVmykJs Morez Johnson Jr. is one of the top players and power forwards available right now in the NCAA Transfer Portal. That has led to national interest in him all around college basketball per his representation On3 has been covering the intrigue in Johnson since his entry into the portal on Friday. That includes an update on the latest regarding his transfer options from Joe Tipton earlier on Monday It’s also of interest that seven of these seventeen teams apparently contacting him are from his own conference in the Big Ten Johnson just finished his freshman season with Illinois on a school record for freshman field-goal percentage at 64.2% along with 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 30 appearances in what is now his lone season with the Fighting Illini Top 101Shane BeamerPuts NCAA on blast Hot 3Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein Per the latest in On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players, Johnson is currently at No. 26 overall. He’s also rated as the No. 8 PF in the portal right now Johnson is one of three players during this cycle so far to leave Champaign. Tre White and Carey Booth have also entered their names into the portal since the end of last week Johnson is a sought-after option in the portal based on these transfer destinations across all of the power leagues That leaves a lot to consider in deciding where he’ll now end up for his sophomore season To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves. Hot3Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media will see if his role increases next season at Michigan instead of Illinois Freshman forward was back in practice Monday CHAMPAIGN — Illinois will be at full strength in the postseason after Morez Johnson Jr was officially cleared to return to action Monday after breaking his left wrist last month The freshman forward participated in practice Monday team spokesperson Derrick Burson told The News-Gazette and will be available for the Big Ten tournament Johnson broke his wrist following a hard fall in Illinois' loss to Michigan State on Feb The 6-foot-9 forward missed the past five games while rehabbing the injury Illinois (20-11) will open Big Ten tournament play at 5:30 p.m Thursday in Indianapolis against the winner of Wednesday's first-round game between Ohio State and Iowa The Illini are on a three-game winning streak and got back in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday as the No Johnson entered Illinois' starting lineup in late January and made eight consecutive starts before breaking his wrist He was averaging 7.2 points and 6.6 rebounds before the injury Scott Richey covers college basketball for The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey). Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved entering the transfer portal couldn't get any worse on Tuesday he reportedly made a final decision on his destination: Illinois transfer Morez Johnson has committed to Michigan That's the word from CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein who delivered the news via his X social media account: Johnson is headed to Ann Arbor to play for coach Dusty May and the Wolverines according to Johnson's high school coach Johnson's departure is a significant blow for coach Brad Underwood and the Illini program and losing him to another Big Ten school is salt in the wound why not just overflow all the toilets in the State Farm Center on the way out it's a hard pill to swallow not only because Johnson (7.0 points 1.1 blocks in 17.6 minutes per game) brought exceptional abilities that are otherwise in short supply in Champaign but also because he should make an excellent replacement for Wolverines big man Vladislav Goldin alongside Danny Wolf Although Illinois rolled Michigan 93-73 in Ann Arbor in the teams' only meeting earlier this season the Wolverines finished third (to the Illini's seventh) in the Big Ten and made a solid run in the NCAA Tournament Replacing Johnson's offensive rebounding shot blocking and post presence won't be easy but even more difficult for Illinois fans will be having to watch his development from afar – and figure out how to contain him at least once a year while he continues his college career took an ugly spill against Michigan State in an Illinois loss on Feb 15 in Champaign and it was learned that he had suffered a broken left wrist the fear was that the freshman forward would be lost for the season Although those concerns haven't been totally alleviated just yet there is news about Johnson's progress – and it is encouraging Illini coach Brad Underwood said in a Thursday press conference that the team still doesn't have a timetable for Johnson's return mostly because his availability still depends on how the break has healed and whether Johnson is physically ready for action after what will likely be no less than a month off everything's conditioning – he didn't do anything for 10 days," Underwood said of Johnson "They didn't allow him to do any movement I think now he's back and doing stuff in a pool But there are undeniably positive developments in Johnson's recovery "so it's just hand exercises and movement type stuff and then we'll have a better idea of what the results are." 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 17.7 minutes per game has been a forceful presence on both sides of the floor Illinois' rebounding effectiveness and ability to match up with physical frontcourt players has been submarined by his absence Morez Johnson 💪 Throws it down! @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/LUoxo9ryGv The Illini aren't saying that their ceiling will be determined by Johnson's availability and fitness in the event he can return – but they aren't wasting a moment in trying to get him back on the floor For a closed reduction fracture of the wrist (no breaking of the skin and surgical procedure required), a recovery period of at least 4-6 weeks in a cast is typically required, according to the Cleveland Clinic "it can take up to three months or more before you’ll be able to fully return to your typical activities." The Illini are clearly hoping to accelerate the standard recovery process but Underwood said Johnson's availability ultimately will come down to the results of a medical evaluation the better Johnson's chances become of rejoining the team before his freshman year comes to an end "He'll have a busy few days from the conditioning side of it trying to do some stuff," Underwood said "He's done quite a bit with one hand but we haven't been able to put him in any position where he could possibly fall But we're hopeful and praying for a positive scan." Center Morez Johnson is returning for Illinois Johnson has missed the last five games after suffering a broken left wrist against Michigan State on Feb head coach Brad Underwood indicated that Johnson has been focused on regaining his conditioning outdid himself on Tuesday when he announced his final destination By deciding on Michigan as his landing spot Johnson has unofficially become public enemy No NEWS: Illinois transfer forward Morez Johnson has committed to Michigan, he tells @On3sports. The 6-9 freshman averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. https://t.co/lTSeODUFPI pic.twitter.com/tGluYDXtRH Wolverines fans were (understandably) over the moon about landing one of the portal’s top available players adding a potential star with three years of eligibility remaining and draining a chief Big Ten rival of a fantastic in-state talent Averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in just 17.6 minutes per game Johnson was one of the best board men in the country and a top-tier defensive presence in the paint (1.1 blocks per game) In the wake of Johnson's decision and the loss of a player who committed to the program nearly three years prior to his enrollment His choice of continuing his career in Ann Arbor only added extra sting to the news Illinois' nine-game winning streak over Michigan undoubtedly feels a little less satisfying after – and is very much threatened by – Johnson's transfer social media had a little something to say about the development Below are some of the choicest cuts from X on Johnson's Illinois-to-MIchigan move LETS GOOOWELCOME MOREZ DUSTY IS COOKIN 〽️ https://t.co/LnN1L2opya Morez Johnson next year playing against an Underwood offense https://t.co/OEDARm01l3 pic.twitter.com/Mi2Tw932Kp Illinois transfer Morez Johnson has committed to that team up north. https://t.co/vnZNSsjkmp Three Big Ten transfers within the conference so far:Morez Johnson - Illinois to MichiganGabe Cupps - Indiana to Ohio StateLathan Sommerville - Rutgers to Washington Ty Rodgers announces he's staying at Illinois after Morez Johnson commits to Michigan. Ty is about to become an #Illini legend for this Ty Rodgers is going to put Morez Johnson in jail with Damonte Williams handcuffs #illini pic.twitter.com/0EHTxmJRQD Illinois forward Morez Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal He was a freshman with the Fighting Illini this past season Johnson appeared in 30 games as a freshman 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game as Illinois made it to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 He will have three years of eligibility remaining Johnson put together his biggest game of the season in January against Penn State He scored 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting while also adding 11 rebounds in 20 minutes of action Illinois cruised to a 91-52 victory in that game To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves As a high school player at Thornton, Johnson was Illinois’ Mr. Basketball in 2024. He was also the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and the Chicago Sun-Times’ state player of the year. “Kasparas Jakucionis is one of the best stat sheet stuffers in college basketball this season, setting up the Illinois offense as a playmaker and rebounding well thanks to his size advantage at guard,” Fletcher wrote. “The only downside to this point in his game is that Jakucionis also fills the turnover category too often which must be cleaned up before facing bigger, more physical NBA defenders.” Morez Johnson Jr. had a list of seventeen teams, if not more, reportedly interested in him on Monday. Now, on Tuesday, he’s down to a final six as for where he could commit to out of the NCAA Transfer Portal this comes 24 hours after the reported list of teams having interest in him per his representation only half of the finalists were in that group yesterday in the Razorbacks That brings him to more interest from the SEC with three along with the two options still in the Big Ten and now one in the Big Ten This portal recruitment looks to be moving fast for Johnson with this update this morning. All that now leaves is a commitment to come from him to one of these six for his sophomore season. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves Johnson just finished his freshman season with Illinois Johnson is one of three players during this cycle so far to leave Champaign. Tre White and Carey Booth have also entered their names into the portal since the end of last week. according to Illinois Basketball’s X social media account beating the usual recovery timetable of at least 4-6 weeks by an impressive margin After being in full rest mode for the first 10 days post-injury Johnson returned to conditioning – mostly in the pool Illini coach Brad Underwood told the media he was “hopeful” Johnson could return to the lineup in time for the Big Ten Tournament Although good conditionining is dramatically different than in-game shape it appears Johnson will be in position to more or less hit the ground running Although he may need to get a game or two under his belt before he feels 100 percent Even spot minutes off the bench for Johnson in favorable matchups will give Illinois a boost and allow the big man to work any kinks out in the conference tournament ahead of the NCAA Tournament 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in the deal – plus The timing couldn't be better for the Illini who just so happen to be riding a three-game win streak Despite heading into the Big Ten Tournament as the seventh seed Illinois may have all the pieces necessary to cut down the nets in Indianapolis and win its second straight conference tournament championship the Illini are traveling to Madison to face No Wisconsin is one of the Big Ten's hottest teams: they just won at No 7 Purdue and have the nation's 6th best offense “They are a great passing team and they’re old as dirt They’re grown men," said Illini HC Brad Underwood extending its nine-game winning streak over Greg Gard and the Badgers Brad Underwood announced that freshman center Morez Johnson will be out indefinitely with a broken wrist Johnson was averaging 10 PPG over his last seven and was one of the team's better rebounders and defenders This could result in junior Tre White seeing more minutes who's hardly played over the last three games after being a starter Illinois is 9-7 in Big Ten play after losing to Michigan State on Saturday a result and build up of an inconsistent 2025 And the team has dealt with injuries and illness Whether Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Tre White missed games due to the flu Or Kasparas Jakucionis due to a left forearm injury And the team showed at times they don't have the depth to overcome it Underwood said he is going to rally the team after news that Johnson broke his wrist "I’m still that pizza hut parking lot guy I’ve taken an ass whooping before and got back," said Underwood the Illini are still a projected 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament Which means they're likely to make the NCAA Tournament Having seven "Quad 1" wins helps the resume Illinois forward Morez Johnson is staying in the Big Ten. He will transfer to Michigan Johnson was a freshman for the Fighting Illini during the 2024-25 season He wasn’t a regular starter but notched eight starts in the 30 appearances he made Morez Johnson averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game Johnson offers an athletic and lengthy presence inside He will help Michigan replace some anticipated departing talent Morez Johnson recorded three double-doubles during the season He logged double-figure rebounds five times During the NCAA Tournament, Johnson chipped in 11 points and 12 rebounds in two games. Illinois reached the Round of 32 before losing to Kentucky. Michigan has been active in landing other stars in the transfer portal North Carolina transfer point guard Elliot Cadeau has committed to Michigan, On3’s Joe Tipton reported Cadeau played two seasons for the Tar Heels and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Wolverines Cadeau appeared in 40 games this past season as a starter to average 9.2 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 43.5% from the floor His assist average of 6.2 across 37 regular season games ranked him second in the ACC As a recruit, Cadeau was a five-star prospect out of Link Academy in West Orange, New Jersey. He ranked as the No. 13 overall player and No. 2 point guard in the 2023-24 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3’s Chandler Vessels also contributed to this report. logged no more than 22 minutes in an outing and scored in double figures just twice Johnson’s minutes drastically increased – and Johnson scored at least 11 points in six games and grabbed eight rebounds or more in five 15-rebound showing in a win over Ohio State Johnson’s growth was evident – and he was rewarded with a spot in the starting lineup Johnson’s impact was on peak display – this time on the defensive end Taking on then-No. 11 Michigan State, Johnson was keeping his Illini in the contest with back-to-back blocks. But on the second rejection, while attempting to break his fall, Johnson broke his wrist forcing him out of action for an indefinite amount of time "OHHHHH WHAT A BLOCK!" - Gus Johnson 🎙️ Two. Hand. Block. Morez Johnson OH MY! @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/22xW44QPIv After quickly developing into such an integral part of Illinois’ scheme on both sides of the court Johnson now leaves a gaping hole due to his absence Here are the areas where the Illini will miss him most: averaging 6.6 – which translates to an outstanding 14.8 boards per 40 minutes that per-40 figure ranks 15th in the country and second in the Big Ten – behind only Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler (15.2) A menace specifically on his team's side of the floor Johnson ranks first in the Big Ten and ninth in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (18.3 percent) Morez Johnson polished it off 😮‍💨 @IlliniMBB off to a hot start pic.twitter.com/XJ6jSWE1CK Johnson’s importance on the glass was crystal clear on Tuesday when Wisconsin jumped out to an early 16-4 advantage on the boards and eventually won the battle of the boards 39-30 – Illinois' worst rebounding margin of the season the Illini need their guards and wings to hit the glass harder than they have all season – and for 6-foot-9 forward Ben Humrichous (4.0 rebounds per game) to pick up a healthy portion of the slack Although Kylan Boswell is an excellent on-ball defender and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn isn’t far behind the Illini have made a high priority of running opponents off the three-point line – even at the expense of some extra dribble penetration Johnson had been there to clean up a lot of mistakes in the past deterring many more shots than he blocked (1.1 per game) an excellent athlete with next-level anticipation skills seemed to have an innate understanding of when to rotate to help or contest and he’s a nightmarish threat to every opposing player on the floor A defensive frontcourt of Johnson and Tomislav Ivisic is as effective and imposing as any in the country This block from @IlliniMBB's Morez Johnson is 😳#B1GMBBall on @BigTenPlus 💻 pic.twitter.com/E1M6x99IFI the Illini will be forced to step up their on-ball defense and prevent guards from getting into the paint and breaking down the defense – especially when Ivisic isn’t on the court If Illinois has no choice but to pack its defense inside against Duke the Blue Devils – who shoot 37.9 percent on threes – aren't going to be afraid to let fly from the perimeter North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau shoots over Duke guard Isaiah Evans during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Michigan and Michigan State have added much-needed players from the transfer portal and former Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr Cadeau averaged 9.4 points and 6.2 assists as the Tar Heels' starting point guard last season averaged seven points and seven rebounds in 17-plus minutes last season for the Fighting Illini who played at Louisville two years ago and Florida Atlantic last season Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo dipped into the portal to bolster Michigan State's short-handed roster with the 6-6 Glenn who averaged 12.6 points and made 41% of his 3-point shots last season for Florida Atlanta after averaging four points a game as a freshman at Louisville Glenn was AAU teammates with Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears The Big Ten champions and NCAA Tournament Elite Eight team lost Jase Richardson to the NBA draft along with three players in the portal: Tre Holloman The Spartans also will also be without three key players who are out of eligibility: Jaden Akins Florida Atlantic forward Kaleb Glenn (1) goes up for a layup against Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game high-flying wing Coen Carr and center Carson Cooper are expected to lead the team that has signed four-star recruits Cam Ward and Jordan Scott “I like my team coming back next year,” Izzo said earlier this week Michigan's chances of having success next season will increase if former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg pulls out of the NBA draft to play for coach Dusty May May led the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament and the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament Lendeborg announced he’ll transfer to Michigan if he decides not to stay in the draft He was a two-time first-team All-American Athletic Conference pick and two-time AAC defensive player of the year dunks against Xavier in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday Lendeborg will attend the NBA combine in Chicago in mid-May and have until May 28 to decide whether he’ll stay in the draft or return to college he’ll fill a void in the front court because 7-footer Danny Wolf is expected to be in the NBA draft and center Vladislav Goldin is has exhausted his eligibility The Wolverines will also be without guard Phat Phat Brooks The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Head coach Brad Underwood announced Monday that freshman big man Morez Johnson Jr “will not play for a good bit” after suffering a broken wrist during Saturday’s game against Michigan State No timeline to that at this point,” Underwood said Johnson suffered the injury on the fall he took following his two-handed blocked shot of Michigan State’s Tre Holloman with 7:49 to play in the second half of Saturday’s 79-65 loss to the Spartans "OHHHHH WHAT A BLOCK!" - Gus Johnson ️ Two. Hand. Block. Morez Johnson OH MY! @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/22xW44QPIv “Feel terrible for that young man,” Underwood said It’s one of the best I’ve seen in a long time Johnson returned to the game following the play but was held scoreless for the remainder of the night after his 17-point performance provided a big spark for the Illini particularly in the earlier portion of the second half “He hit the floor pretty hard and was tough enough to bounce up and just say ‘tape it,’” Underwood said “That impacted a couple of his close misses at the rim as well late in the game.” Johnson entered the starting lineup for Illinois on Jan 23 against Maryland and has started all eight games since 6.6 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game This news is the latest stroke of bad luck for an Illinois roster that has been snakebitten with injuries and illnesses over the last month Kasparas Jakucionis (forearm) and Tomislav Ivisic (mono) have each missed multiple games while the flu bug has hit the Illini locker room hard Illinois will certainly feel Johnson’s absence down the stretch of the regular season — four of the Illini’s final five games come against teams inside the Top 13 of the AP Poll The Illini and Badgers will tip off from the Kohl Center at 7:30 p.m This is a developing story that will be updated with new information On Monday, rumors began to surface that Johnson - who transferred to Michigan from Illinois - was planning to decommit from the Wolverines Those rumors seemed to stem from an account that noticed Johnson had removed anything related to Michigan from his Instagram account Once the screenshot of Johnson's account made its way to Twitter/X a 6-9 forward who averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Fighting Illini last season was a huge pick up for head coach Dusty May and the Wolverines Facing significant losses on the roster from the 2024-25 season the addition of Johnson is a huge step toward Michigan continuing its pursuit of a championship So when rumors began to circulate that he may be on his way out it obviously caught the attention of folks within the Michigan community On Wednesday, Davis Moseley of 247Sports confirmed that Morez Johnson was 100 percent committed to Michigan and that any suggestion otherwise was inaccurate i can CONFIRM from multiple sources that Morez Johnson (@morezjohnsonJr) is 100% committed to #Michigan.There is no and never was any reason to be concerned.Michigan’s recruitment of other forwards/bigs have absolutely nothing to do with current commitments While the latest rumor appears to be inaccurate it shows just how much today's college athletes are scrutinized particularly as it relates to changes on your social media page could end up becoming a trending topic on the internet What makes Michigan football so excited about 4-star freshman CB Shamari Earls Michigan Football: Rod Moore considered a 'top' returning safety despite not playing in 2024 Michigan Football predicted to land a 2026 quarterback Morez Johnson Jr. is the second Illinois men's basketball player to enter the NCAA transfer portal The 6-foot-9 freshman forward on Friday joined Carey Booth as the second Fighting Illini player from the 2024-25 roster to transfer Johnson appeared in 30 games, starting eight in row until a broken wrist sidelined him for five games He averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds to go with 33 blocks What's next for Illinois basketball? Transfer portal, NBA, recruiting and more Johnson is a 2024 graduate of Harvey Thornton, where he was named Illinois Mr. Basketball during his senior season Illinois finished this season at 22-13, losing to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 this past weekend Michigan basketball landed a player out of the transfer portal This time, the Wolverines added a big piece from the Big Ten in Illinois big man Morez Johnson Jr., who shared news of his commitment on his social media accounts Tuesday was an impact player on both ends for the Fighting Illini as a freshman 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17.6 minutes and missed time late in the season with a fractured wrist Johnson isn’t a floor spacer — he didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer this past season — but he’s a menace around the rim He set a freshman record at Illinois with a 64.2% field-goal percentage and his 2.7 offensive rebounds per game ranked third in the Big Ten trailing only Maryland’s Julian Reese and Indiana’s Oumar Ballo who both averaged roughly 11 more minutes in playing time More: Michigan basketball loses starter to transfer portal 255 pounds) scored in double figures eight times and tallied three double-doubles He has three years of eligibility remaining The Illinois native entered the transfer portal over the weekend and became an immediate priority for the Wolverines With center Vlad Goldin exhausting his eligibility and big man Danny Wolf potentially leaving for the NBA Draft Michigan needed to replenish the talent in its frontcourt Johnson is the second portal pickup for Michigan and joins North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau, who announced his pledge on Monday – Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr suffered a broken wrist in Illinois' loss to Michigan State at the State Farm Center Illini coach Brad Underwood said Monday morning "Morez Johnson is out and will not play for a good bit," Underwood said "He broke his wrist in a fall on that elite blocked shot that he made." which unfolded with Illinois up 65-64 and 7:49 remaining left on the clock With the Spartans threatening in transition guard Jase Richardson fired a bounce pass across the lane to guard Tre Holloman who attacked Illini guard Kasparas Jakcuionis in the paint Johnson timed his leap and elevated to meet Holloman at the rim and hammer the shot into the stands via two-handed volleyball spike But Johnson's momentum carried him over the top of Holloman and tumbling awkwardly grimaced and paused before allowing teammates to help him up even collecting three rebounds and a steal after suffering the injury Underwood didn't commit to a timetable for Johnson's return but a broken wrist likely ends an excellent season for the 6-foot-9 Johnson is currently averaging 7.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and he leads Illinois with 29 blocks in 26 games because Morez is outstanding," Underwood said It also dramatically changes the makeup – and likely the short-term approach – of the Illini (17-9 Johnson is an integral piece of what has been one of the best rebounding and defensive collectives in college basketball If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em? Kentucky would certainly love that for Illinois transfer Morez Johnson. Just over a week after the Wildcats ended the Fighting Illini’s season in the NCAA Tournament, the standout forward has hit the transfer portal and cut his list down to six schools. Among them? Kentucky. Kentucky joins Ohio State, Kansas, Michigan, Tennessee and Arkansas as programs still in contention for the 6-9, 225-pound freshman out of Riverdale, IL. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports was the first to break the news. Illinois transfer Morez Johnson has cut his list to the following programs, per his HS coach RaShay Russell.Ohio StateKansas Michigan Tennessee Arkansas Kentucky Johnson averaged 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17.7 minutes as a freshman at Illinois. He finished with five points, seven rebounds and a steal in 17 minutes against the Wildcats on March 23. 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On Monday, 7-foot-1 Miami (OH) transfer center Reece Potter committed to the Kentucky... a former 4-star recruit who spent his freshman season at Illinois in 2024-25 recently entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal Johnson appeared in 30 games this past year Now it appears he’s looking for a bigger role ahead of the 2025-26 season Per college hoops insider Jon Rothstein, Johnson’s high school coach says 3 SEC programs — Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas — are among the 6 schools on Johnson’s list: Illinois transfer Morez Johnson has cut his list to the following programs per his HS coach RaShay Russell.Ohio StateKansas Michigan Tennessee Arkansas Kentucky Those 3 SEC basketball squads will compete with a pair of Big Ten programs — Ohio State and Michigan — as well as Kansas out of the Big 12 for Johnson’s services in 2025-26 and beyond 225-pound forward — averaged 17.7 minutes per game this past year Illinois went 22-13 overall and finished 7th in the Big Ten standings The Illini earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to Round 2 before losing to Kentucky All 3 of those SEC teams — Kentucky Tennessee and Arkansas — will be looking to reload after players leave for the NBA and run out of college eligibility We’ll see if Johnson ends up joining 1 of those SEC frontcourts for next season Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands would you be playing high-level basketball three weeks later The Illini’s big man freshman made his triumphant return Thursday night in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament against No He checked in to a big round of applause about midway through the first half and made his presence felt almost immediately grabbing an offensive board and putting it back up for two the Illini found him again for another bucket down low A B1G welcome back for Morez Johnson Jr. ‼️He goes back-to-back for @IlliniMBB #B1GMBBT on BTN pic.twitter.com/u3q8lbypj2 “I thought he was great,” said head coach Brad Underwood after the game and kind of did what I wanted him to do.” The Michigan Wolverines picked up their second transfer for the 2025-26 season in former Illinois big man Morez Johnson With Vlad Goldin graduating and Danny Wolf possibly entering the NBA Draft May’s squad could use all the size it can get for the 2025-26 season the 6-foot-9 forward could be a building block for the program we will break down his game and project where he could fit in Michigan’s rotation next season and beyond The No. 1 recruit in the state of Illinois for the 2024 class, Johnson was a four-star prospect at No. 30 overall and No. 7 among centers on the 247Sports composite 30 overall player on 247’s portal rankings Johnson started eight out of his 30 games at Illinois this past season averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in nearly 18 minutes per game He shot 64.2 percent from the field and 61.8 percent from the free throw line He scored double-digit points seven times, including a career-high 20 points in a win over Penn State and 17 points in a loss to Michigan State Johnson didn’t play in Illinois’ win over Michigan because he was recovering from a broken wrist Johnson is the kind of dirty-work big man every college basketball team could use. He’s a tenacious rebounder that defends the rim well, and is also a ferocious dunker. He crashed the offensive boards hard, as his 17.2 percent offensive rebounding rate on KenPom — which is the percentage of possible offensive rebounds a player gets — helped Illinois rank in the top-20 in the country in offensive rebounding Johnon was ranked as one of the best rebounders in the country Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler and Auburn’s National Player of the Year candidate Those stats went down a bit with his wrist injury Johnson can be one of the best rebounders in the country WHO'S DOMINATING THE BOARDS? The individual leaders in Rebound Percentage:1. Keba Keita, 24.9%2. Tarris Reed Jr., 23.3%3. Morez Johnson Jr., 23.2%4. Jaxon Kohler, 22.9%5. Johni Broome, 22.3% pic.twitter.com/Rr64mnDsPT but Johnson plays basketball like a tight end playing pick-up at your local LA Fitness He’s physical and incredibly hard to box out his effort is evident and he thrives around the rim Michigan fans are going to love the energy he brings on both ends Johnson is similar to Tre Donaldson in that way Yooo this guys vibes are elite pic.twitter.com/ZhIu6XTYCB but he is more of a traditional big who only leaves the paint to set screens he knows what he is and thrives in that role and his energy is incredibly impactful defensively Johnson should remind Michigan fans of Tarris Reed Jr in terms of his motor and rebounding ability With about three weeks to go until the portal closes it’s hard to project Michigan’s starting center Johnson slides into the starting lineup at the 5 I could see him playing well next to Will Tschetter with Tschetter being able to stretch the floor and find Johnson for easy buckets If Michigan lands another big man in the portal — particularly one that is more skilled offensively — I could see Johnson being one of the Michigan’s first players off the bench I could also see Tschetter starting over him against certain smaller teams And an underrated part about this addition is Johnson could be Michigan’s big man of the future with three years of eligibility left I do like that the Wolverines are building for now and for the future It’s the foresight you need to have in the unpredictable world that is the transfer portal Where do you see Johnson fitting on this roster The Illinois basketball team is going to be slightly different next season According to basketball recruiting analyst Derek Piper, Wagner's colleague and the program turned sour within the last 48 hours to the point of no resolution Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp "I would imagine that they weren't completely blindsided by this," Piper said of Illinois' reaction to Johnson Jr.'s leaving after he took a call from Johnson Jr.'s parents denying then-rumors of him leaving adding another layer to the story before the floodgates finally opened was far from safe at Illinois regarding staying put and was already pursuing other unnamed options contrary to Piper's initial conversation with the family "It surprised a lot of people," Piper said "Morez has been committed to this program for a long time and did get ample opportunity we're better when Morez and Tomi [Ivišić] are on the floor." will have to move on and go their separate ways in what anticipates to be a busy off-season around the country Zain Bando is a freelance writer for The Sporting News He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism Bando has written about various beats surrounding Illinois and Kansas State Athletics but sticks to the Big Ten as his primary expertise Bando covers MMA and boxing for MMA Knockout On Sports Illustrated and hosts/co-hosts two podcasts as part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network – Bando's Breakdowns and The MMA Outsiders which air weekly on YouTube and are distributed on all podcast platforms Tuesday nights and Wednesday afternoons Bando is a Chicago Suburban native and a member of the FWAA and USBWA continuing to hone his professional skills as a sports journalist and media personality Bando's byline has been seen across many mediums Bridge Media Network (Sports News Highlights) and manifests all the places he still has to travel to (even while bringing his laptop) Former Illinois forward Morez Johnson has committed to Michigan out of the transfer portal After one season at Illinois, forward Morez Johnson Jr. has committed to Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines out of the transfer portal Johnson started eight out of his 30 games during his freshman season at Illinois averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in just under 18 minutes per game shot 64.2 percent from the field and 61.8 percent from the free throw line He scored double-digit points seven times this past season, including a career-high 20 points in a win over Penn State and 17 points in a loss to Michigan State Johnson is a tenacious offensive rebounder on an Illinois team ranked in the top-20 on KenPom in offensive rebounding percentage He doesn’t shy away from contact around the rim using his sheer strength to throw down ferocious dunks He’s not going to create his own shot or shoot threes but if he is finishing possessions with dunks and layups that means your offensive possession has gone quite well I’m not quite sure what Johnson’s upside is but he could be Michigan’s first big off the bench at the very worst Michigan has obvious holes in the frontcourt with Vlad Goldin graduating and Danny Wolf potentially leaving for the draft He could fit well alongside Will Tschetter given Tschetter’s ability to stretch the floor Johnson still has three years of eligibility so this is a potential building block for 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons Johnson growing with all Michigan’s young guards could help the team’s chemistry as a whole moving forward It’s been a busy transfer portal season, and it’s going to stay busy until the portal closes on April 22. Stay with Maize n Brew for all the latest updates, as well as breakdowns of what fans can expect from the new transfers like Elliot Cadeau Johnson Jr.'s dominant paint presence and effortless athletic ability have been absent from Illinois' lineup for nearly a month. Still, after weeks of uncertainty, Underwood dropped a hint of hope about Johnson Jr.'s wrist injury status, which may see him return for the Big Ten Tournament next week. According to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein a definitive answer regarding Johnson Jr.'s status "Brad Underwood tells me that Illinois should know on Monday whether or not Morez Johnson (wrist) will be available for the Big Ten Tournament," Rothstein wrote "Johnson recently had his cast removed and averages 7.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG." Based on Underwood's pre-game presser, he appeared somewhat optimistic that good news would arise given Johnson Jr. recently had his basketball-themed cast removed everything is conditioning,” Underwood said Thursday The cast is off so it’s just hand exercises and movement-type stuff.” Underwood added that while his status is improving it's simply about recovery time and pulling the trigger when necessary it's up to all parties to give the green light Illinois (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten) will likely wind up as a No. 7 seed when it begins postseason play this Thursday likely against the projected Ohio State-Nebraska winner are going to be released after the games conclude on Sunday is a top priority as March Madness gets closer "We're hoping for a positive scan," Underwood said and manifests all the places he still has to travel to (even while bringing his laptop).