Illinois transfer center Dain Dainja will be taking a visit to Memphis, according to Joe Tipton. Sources tell Hitmen Hoops that Memphis is a “name to know” in Dainja’s recruitment.
The 6’9, 270-pound big man entered the transfer portal on Monday afternoon and is visiting campus just one day later.
Things seem to be moving fast with his recruitment. So, what should Tigers fans know about Dain Dainja?
Who is Dain Dainja?
Dain Dainja is a junior center with one year of eligibility remaining. He spent his first collegiate season at Baylor before entering the transfer portal and playing for two seasons at Illinois.
Dainja averaged 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game this season. He shot 66.9% from the field and 47.7% from the charity stripe.
The junior center saw his minutes cut in half this season with more talent on the Illinois roster. He started 21 of 33 contests in his sophomore campaign compared to three starts in 38 games during his junior season.
Dainja’s Game
Dainja has a unique and versatile game for a big man. He has a lot of offensive talent and had some of his best performances in the late stages of the season. He had arguably his best game of his career against Morehead State in the NCAA Tournament where he finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. The Illinois transfer has plenty of untapped potential.
Dainja primarily operates in and around the rim. This season, he took 84.1% of his field goal attempts at the rim, and connected on 71.7% of those shots. At 6’9, 270 pounds, Dainja’s frame allows him to carve out space in the paint for easy looks. He uses his size to his advantage, playing physical on both ends of the court.
Dainja has a good feel offensively, navigating to open space around the rim to make himself available to his teammates. He was very effective on cuts this season, scoring 1.297 points per possession on those opportunities. He flashes quickly to open space and has a quick release on his shots.
Athleticism
Dainja is a surprisingly athletic player for his size. He possesses great movement skills and body control that he leverages as a two-way presence. He can quickly rise up for dunks without much momentum and stay in the air to block shots on the defensive end. Dainja finished his junior campaign with a solid 4.1% block rate. His body control allows him to be a good weakside rim protector, and he uses his awareness to quickly recognize players driving to the rim for seemingly easy finishes.
Dainja is also a good defender in space. He knows how to use his strength to wall up offensive players in post up opportunities. He limited opposing players to 0.784 points per possession on post ups. The center can also move his feet well and is comfortable in a variety of pick and roll coverages. He limited PNR roll men to 0.625 points per possession this season on 21.4% shooting.
The combination of Dainja’s physicality and athleticism allowed him to be super effective on the glass. The Illinois big knows how to use his body to find space for rebounds under the rim and can easily rise over smaller players to grab 50/50 balls. He finished with a 17.5% offensive rebounding rate and a 22.7% defensive rebounding rate. Dainja also scored 1.33 points per possession on put back attempts this season.
Dainja, too, is elite in transition. His size and athleticism make him someone you don’t want to get in front of in the open floor. He runs the lanes well and can finish opportunities with his athleticism and soft touch on the run. He scored 1.296 points per possession in transition this season.
Craftiness
Dainja possesses elite footwork for a big man his size. He uses his athleticism, body control, and movement skills to trick defenders and find openings in the lane. Furthermore, Dainja possesses soft touch with each hand and can finish effectively over either shoulder.
He loves getting to his pump fake and spin move and is comfortable backing down defenders. The big man also uses his long strides for step through finishes and has a hesitation move he can get to on occasion. Dainja scored a solid 0.855 points per possession on post up opportunities.
Dainja also has soft hands, which he uses to his advantage around the rim. He is able to catch poor passes and is excellent as a roll man in the pick and roll, where he scored 1.571 points per possession.
Other Suitors
Dain Dainja is one of the most intriguing big men available in the transfer portal. A lot of high major teams are expected to pursue the Illinois transfer and put him in a much larger role. Expect Dainja to break out next season due to his combination of athleticism, skill, and size. With starter-level minutes next seasons, his production should skyrocket.
Memphis getting Dainja on campus just one day after he entered the transfer portal seems to be a good sign. They are working quickly in this recruitment and understand the competition they likely face. Can Memphis close the deal on Dainja’s first visit, or will he end up extending this recruitment? That’s an answer we should get soon.
