Penny Hardaway has earned his second commitment of the transfer portal cycle. Illinois transfer center Dain Dainja has committed to Memphis. The decision came just two days after he visited campus and three days after he entered the portal. Tulsa transfer guard PJ Haggerty committed to the Tigers yesterday.
Things moved fast with this recruitment, so what do Tigers fans need to know about Dainja and what he could bring to next season’s roster?
Why Did Memphis Pursue?
A brief look at Dain Dainja’s stats, and you may be confused as to why Memphis pursued the Illinois big man. The junior center, who has one year of eligibility remaining, doesn’t pop on the stat sheet. This season, he only averaged 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game. He shot 66.9% from the field, but only 47.7% from the charity stripe. Dainja has not made, or attempted, a three in his career.
Dainja’s Impact
However, there is more than meets the eye (or the stats) with Dain Dainja. At 6’9, 270 pounds, the former Fighting Illini is one of the most unique big men in the nation and has a good feel for the game. The thing that pops about his game is his athleticism relative to his frame. His body control and movement skills are two of his best traits as a player, and they impact many facets of his game.
Dainja has great footwork with long strides and has a deep bag as a post-up offensive player. He can beat defenders with both power and finesse. He can go to a variety of moves, including a spin move, a hesitation dribble, and a pump fake. Dainja can get off shots quickly in the paint, has soft touch and soft hands, and can finish over either shoulder and with either hand.
Defensively, his combination of strength and movement skills allow him to be an impactful defender. He can wall up defenders in the paint while playing effective drop coverage and moving his feet well. Due to this, he’s comfortable switching on guards as well.
Dainja’s athleticism pops as a rim protector and in transition. He is a strong weakside rim protector with good defensive awareness and can absorb contact effectively. He is a freight train in transition and is dangerous as a rim runner. Dainja can get above the rim with ease and can finish highlight plays in open space.
His athleticism and strength allow him to impact a game on the glass. He can bully defenders to carve out position in the paint and use his athleticism to get 50/50 balls off the rim.
Dainja’s Potential
Dainja had a limited role in his junior season with Illinois. He played 38 games, making three starts and averaging 10.7 minutes per game. In fact, his minutes were cut in half compared to his sophomore campaign. In the 2022-23 season, he made 21 starts in 33 games for the Fighting Illini on 20.6 minutes per contest.
Dainja had a 24.6% usage rate for Illinois this season and was really impactful in his minutes. He had a 22.9 net rating, meaning he was incredibly positive for his team when he was on the court.
Dainja’s two-way presence and impact make him an obvious candidate to break out in more minutes. While he would be a really good backup big, he would also be effective as a starter. With that level of minutes, expect his production to rise significantly.
While Dainja doesn’t add much in terms of spacing, his gravity as a rim roller and a physical paint presence can provide openings for his teammates. He is talented enough to have an offense run through him and impact the game on both ends of the court at a high level.
What Now?
Memphis has two solid pieces in their frontcourt with Dain Dainja and the return of Nicholas Jourdain. Both players make a positive impact on both ends of the floor and will add significant value for the Tigers.
Now, Hardaway will look to rebuild depth in the backcourt around new addition PJ Haggerty and along the wings as the roster faces significant turnover. It’s still early, but the addition of Dain Dainja is a promising sign for what’s to come this off-season.
