RJ Melendez arrived in Champaign as a top-100 recruit. Now, he’s reportedly entering the transfer portal as of Monday per Jeremy Werner with the Illini Inquirer.

Melendez joined Brad Underwood’s Illinois program as a 4-star small forward and the No. 94 player in the country for the 2021 recruiting class. After limited action as a true freshman, Melendez played a larger role the Illini this past season.

He appeared in 32 games with 18 starts and averaged over 20 minutes per game. Unfortunately, his efficiency dropped while shooting 38% from the floor and 26% from the 3-point range.

Melendez averaged 6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists this past season for the Illini. For his career, the 6-foot-7 wing has appeared in 54 games (19 starts) with averages of 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds.

Impact for Illinois

While Illinois did make it to the NCAA Tournament again this past season, Underwood and his staff are dealing with multiple departures via the transfer portal. Jayden Epps and Skyy Clark — key pieces of the 2022 recruiting class — have hit the portal, along with veteran big man Brandon Lieb.

At this point, the transfer portal is just the cost of business for elite college basketball, but it doesn’t make the string of moves look any better for the Illini. Underwood and his staff will need to find a way to reload heading into the 2023-24 season.