The Memphis Tigers have landed their second commitment in as many days out of the transfer portal. Former Illinois forward Dain Dainja has committed to Memphis, he announced on social media.
Dainja averaged 6.0 points and 3.6 rebounds for Illinois in 2023-2024, a squad that made it to the Elite Eight before getting bounced by Connecticut. The 6'9" big man put up 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and a block per game in a larger role in 2022-2023.
The big man appeared in 38 games in 2023-24 and had his best one in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, going a perfect 9-for-9 for 21 points and eight rebounds in a 85-69 Illini win over Morehead State.
Memphis will be Dainja's third college stop. He spent a year at Baylor before spending two seasons at Illinois.
He joins former Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty as commitments to the Tigers. Haggerty announced his commitment on social media, Thursday. They join a roster that consists of Nicholas Jourdain, Ashton Hardaway and potentially David Jones, should he choose to forego in the NBA Draft. Walk-ons Joe Cooper and Noah Stansbury could also still be in the mix.
Seven other Tigers have exhausted their college eligibility, while three others - Carl Cheranfant, Jahylon Young and Jonathan Pierre entered the transfer portal.
Memphis finished a disappointing season 22-10. After starting the season 15-2 and becoming an AP Top 10 team, they lost four in a row in conference play, fell out of the Top 25 and lost in the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament to Wichita State.
