Georgetown transfer Akoy Agau commits to SMU over Illinois, Maryland, Washington State

Fighting Illini basketball’s search for a big man will unfortunately continue for the foreseeable future. On Saturday afternoon, former Georgetown forward Akoy Agau announced a commitment to SMU, picking the Mustangs over Illinois, Maryland, Washington State, Old Dominion, and California State Northridge. The Omaha native will be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer.

Agau told the Omaha World-Herald that he selected the Mustangs for a variety of reasons, but primarily because he has an opportunity to earn early minutes.

"I chose SMU because I felt like it was the best situation for me to succeed both athletically and academically," Agau said. "I will have an opportunity to come in and earn minutes there while getting a chance to be productive."

As a junior, Agau averaged 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Hoyas while shooting 50.6% from the field and 84.0% from the free throw line.

The 6-foot-8 big man took a visit to Champaign earlier this month, and Illinois seemed to be in a good position considering their need for another post player.

There aren’t many options left for Illinois at this stage of the game, and that’s somewhat of an issue considering the four open scholarships.

Still, one name that could make a lot of sense in the weeks to come is Illinois State graduate transfer MiKyle McIntosh. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Redbirds last season.