With Brandon Lee on Friday announcing his transfer destination – James Madison – it’s tough to get past one thought: Lee’s Illinois basketball career never really had a chance to become what it could have been.
That isn’t an indictment of Lee, who arrived in Champaign as a talented freshman guard with immediate value as a defender and real scoring upside. It’s more of a reflection of the situation around him. Illinois had veteran guards, a Final Four-caliber roster and very little room for a young player to work through mistakes. Lee appeared in 18 games as a freshman, averaging 1.8 points and 0.4 rebounds, and will now have three years of eligibility remaining with the Dukes.
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Now that Lee’s move to James Madison is official, let’s look at who wins and who loses in the transfer.
How Illinois fares in the transfer of Brandon Lee
This is not a crushing loss for Illinois – but it is still a loss.
Lee was never a major part of the Illini rotation as a freshman. He mostly played late-game minutes behind a loaded backcourt, and it was always going to be difficult for him to carve out a major role right away. Illinois was chasing a national title, not doling out developmental minutes.
Still, losing a physical 6-foot-4 guard with scoring ability is never ideal. Lee was a four-star recruit, scored more than 2,000 points at The Patrick School and had the kind of long-term upside that would have made him someone to watch down the road.
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The problem is that Illinois’ roster is again loaded. With the Illini bringing back major pieces from a Final Four team and adding another layer of new backcourt talent, Lee’s path to consistent minutes wasn’t exactly wide open. He may have eventually become an impact player in Champaign, but there was no guarantee he would get the opportunity soon enough.
Illinois on SI verdict: a manageable loss for the Illini
How James Madison fares in the transfer of Brandon Lee
This feels like a very strong pickup for James Madison.
The Dukes are not getting a finished product, but they are getting a talented guard who has already spent a year in a high-major program and around winning at the highest level in college basketball. Lee practiced every day against one of the best teams in the country and was part of a group that reached the Final Four.
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For a James Madison squad that is looking to get back to the Big Dance, an uber-talented guard who can make plays is a great start. Lee is a load going to the basket, and if he develops as a three-point shooter and secondary ball-handler, the Dukes will have something special on their hands.
Illinois on SI verdict: a win for James Madison
How Brandon Lee fares in his transfer from Illinois to James Madison
This is the biggest win in this particular move.
Lee didn’t transfer because he couldn’t play at the Big Ten level. He transferred because he wanted a program that wasn’t going to make him wait around another year for playing time.
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Don’t mistake an imperfect situation with a lack of talent. At Illinois, Lee was stuck behind older guards and surrounded by a roster built to win immediately. That is great for team success, but it is not always great for a young player trying to find rhythm and confidence. Consider that it was Lee who was often assigned the role of the scout team’s best backcourt scorer in Illinois practices, and he generated plenty of public praise from coaches and teammates about his exploits in scrimmages.
At James Madison, Lee should get a cleaner runway. He can handle the ball more, hunt for his shots and show why he was such a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school. He doesn’t have to be a star right away, but he should have a much better chance of becoming one soon.
For Illinois fans, this is one of those transfers that should come with no hard feelings. Lee didn’t do anything wrong, and Illinois didn’t fail him. Sometimes, a young player simply needs a better path.
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Illinois on SI verdict: a win for Lee
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Brandon Lee Completes Transfer From Illinois – Who Wins, Who Loses?.
