Illinois basketball gains transfer forward from Notre Dame, loses assistant coach

PEORIA — The University of Illinois men's basketball program continued its offseason of changes Tuesday, losing an assistant coach and gaining a 6-foot-10 forward.

The Illini sealed the deal with sophomore stretch forward Carey Booth, who arrived via the NCAA transfer portal from Notre Dame.

Illini assistant coach Chester Frazier, meanwhile, left for a new job.

He is the new associate head coach at West Virginia, becoming the second coaching hire to former Drake head coach Darian DeVries' staff.

Frazier played for Illinois and has 12 years of college coaching experience in the Big 10, Big 12 and ACC.

Booth brings Illini and NBA lineage

The Illini's newest transfer addition, Booth, is the son of former NBA player and current Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth.

Carey Booth was 247Sports' No. 65 ranked prospect in the NCAA transfer portal, and No. 7 among power forwards.

Opinions vary, as ESPN had him ranked in a group of players outside the top 100, and The Athletic showed him at No. 90.

Booth, a four-star recruit out of high school, averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19 starts as a freshman in 2023-24 for Notre Dame, which used him as a stretch 4.

He took more 3s (118) than 2s (74) and shot just 29.7% from long range. That could foreshadow a move to center.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.