Brad Underwood has some roles on his team to fill, and it looks like he secured one of them Saturday morning.
Florida sophomore Omar Payne announced his intent to transfer to Illinois on Twitter, saying he’s “excited for my next step.”
Payne was a consensus top-50 recruit out of high school back in 2019 and part of a very good Florida recruiting class. This is what Alligator Army said about Payne when he announce he was transferring last week.
And while his athleticism, length, and instincts as a shot-blocker stood out early in his Florida career, his offensive game’s limitations were clear early and often — even on his rare explosive nights, as in a 19-point performance on nine-for-nine shooting against Auburn in January 2020, Payne did nearly all of his damage within feet of the basket.