Arizona men’s basketball interested in Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison, but there’s a catch

It’s a big weekend for Arizona, which is hosting official visits to Kentucky transfer Keion Brooks and 5-star 2023 prospect Kwame Evans Jr. The Wildcats may soon end up scheduling another visit with a highly sought after transfer who just came on the market.

Jacob Grandison, a 6-foot-6 guard who played the last two seasons at Illinois, has reportedly heard from 40 schools since putting his name into the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Arizona is one of the 10 suitors he’s considering:

However, there’s a catch: Grandison entered the portal after withdrawing from the NBA Draft process, but since he did so after May 1 he wouldn’t be immediately eligible for the 2021-22 season. Grandison would have to request a waiver from the NCAA, though he probably has a good case.

Grandison has already transferred once during his college career, playing at Holy Cross from 2017-19 before joining the Fighting Illini. He sat out the 2019-20 season, per NCAA rules at the time, so he could cite that in his case to be granted immediate eligibility.

His eligibility status notwithstanding, Grandison would be a big get for an Arizona team that needs guards and has four open scholarships. He started 23 games for the Illini last season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range.

He came off the bench to score 14 points in 31 minutes against the Wildcats in their 83-79 win in Champaign last December, hitting four 3s along the way.