Good Morning, Illini Nation: Losing Tim Anderson

To subscribe, click here.

Sign up for our daily basketball newsletter here Welcome to Good Morning, Illini Nation, your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey.

Hell offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwoods team and college basketball at large: News that had been rumored for a while broke Friday afternoon that Tim Anderson was stepping away from the Illinois men's basketball team for an indefinite personal leave.

(Quite the Friday afternoon news dump by the Illini just a couple hours before the football team kicked off against Nebraska).

But what does it mean for the Illinois basketball team? Let's run through some thoughts ...

What does indefinite really mean? In theory, Anderson could return.

His departure was phrased as a "personal leave." Not quitting.

Not being fired.

Will he be back? That would seem rather unlikely.

That Anderson was the only assistant coach of what you could consider the primary three without a contract extending beyond the 2024-25 season was notable.

Orlando Antigua came back on a lucrative three-year deal, and Geoff Alexander just got a new deal and a raise.

Tyler Underwood and Zach Hamer also got small raises ahead of the coming season.

Illinois is losing a recruiter.

That can't be overlooked.

Anderson got Terrence Shannon Jr.

to Champaign.

Same with Ty Rodgers and Morez Johnson Jr.

Having a "Chicago guy" on staff, though, might not mean as much as it used to.

For one, the number of high-level prospects in the state has dwindled some.

Lots of those players also leave the state during high school, meaning they are no longer tethered to Illinois.

Brad Underwood has always cast a wide net, and when it comes to prospective recruits that net has once again gone international.

Also, the transfer portal is a thing.

However, there is a rather talented crop of players from Illinois in the Class of 2027.

Guys like Warren's Jaxson Davis, Bolingbrook's Davion Thompson, Kenwood's Devin Cleveland and Oak Hill Academy's (nee Whitey Young) Howard Williams.

Davis, Thompson and Williams all play for Meanstreets, whom Anderson is, of course, connected.

Illinois could also miss Anderson's abilities in the player development space.

When he wasn't on a coaching staff somewhere he trained players, including NBA guys, in Chicago.

The Illini guards reaped the benefits of that experience the past few years.

Losing an assistant coach in late September isn't ideal.

It could always be worse, though.

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway FIRED four of his assistants this month..

This article has been shared from the original article on newsgazette, here is the link to the original article.