Baylor big man Dain Dainja transferring to Illinois

Just an hour after Illinois Football curbstomped Northwestern to claim its first HAT in nearly a decade, Illinois Basketball picked up a big man from Baylor.

A little over a week ago, redshirt-freshman center Dain Dainja announced his intent to enter the transfer portal.

A four-star player in the class of 2020, Dainja was a top-100 player nationally, per 247Sports.

He hails from Minneapolis and had several big name offers, including Ohio State and Arizona State.

“Dain has been a great teammate during his two years in our program, first as a practice player while redshirting last year, and continuing into this season,” said Baylor head coach Scott Drew last week. “We’re always sad if a player elects to leave our program, but we wish Dain the best and will fully support him as he pursues other opportunities.”

At 6-foot-9, Dainja will slot in well next year when he’s eligible to join the Illini in a post-Kofi Cockburn world.

Dainja did not play last year during Baylor’s national championship season.