Illinois' Niccolò Moretti to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal

Illinois’ Niccolò Moretti will be entering the transfer portal per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Givony shared the update in a tweet on Monday.

“NEWS: Illinois’ Niccolo Moretti will enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN,” Givony wrote on Twitter. “The 6’2 Italian point guard and NBA Global Academy graduate has three years of eligibility remaining. Will have a good market due to his pace, feel and pick and roll creativity.”

Moretti has spent the past two seasons with the Fighting Illini after redshirting and then playing as a redshirt freshman this past year. He redshirted since he didn’t arrive until the semester break but still practiced during that spring. He then returned for his first full year this season and appeared in 18 games.

In his outings off the bench, Moretti averaged 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists on 66.7% shooting, both from the field and from three, in just under six minutes per game.

Moretti committed to Illinois back in January of 2023. The Italian guard did so after spending time as part of the NBA Global Academy. He hails from overseas as a native of Bologna, Italy.

Moretti was the very final piece of the Illini’s No. 12 recruiting class from 2022. He came in as one of four other freshmen in Skyy Clark, Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps, and Sencire Harris, all of which were four-star, Top-100 prospects in On3’s 2022 Industry Top Basketball Recruits. Now, with this decision, Rodgers is the only remaining member of that group that still remains in Champaign.

Moretti is now one of five transfers to leave the Fighting Illini this offseason in the portal. Harris joins him in this cycle as he has committed to West Virginia after his entry. Dain Dainja (Memphis), Luke Goode (Indiana), and Amani Hansberry (West Virginia) have also all committed elsewhere.

As for additions, Illinois has brought in a quartet of transfers. Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Tre White (Louisville), Carey Booth (Notre Dame), and Jake Davis (Mercer) have all pledge to play for Brad Underwood and the Illini next season. Boswell is the best of the group per On3’s 2024 Transfer Portal Top Players at No. 40 overall as the No. 11 PG. Booth (No. 29 PF) and White (No. 34 SF) also rank in the Top-200 of those ratings.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.