



CHAMPAIGN -- The Illini basketball program announced on Tuesday that Kent State grad transfer big man Adonis De La Rosa has been officially added to the roster for the upcoming season after signing a financial aid tender.

De La Rosa publicly committed to the program back on July 2, and he has been on campus for a few weeks.

The seven-foot, 265-pound center averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season as a redshirt junior, while converting 56.4 percent of his field goal attempts and shooting 78.5 percent from the free-throw line. De La Rosa produced seven double-doubles, including an outing of 24 points and 14 boards against Central Michigan in early January.

“We are excited to welcome Adonis to our program,” Illini head coach Brad Underwood said in Tuesday’s press release. "He adds tremendous experience and size to our frontcourt, is a proven rebounder on both ends of the floor, and a talented offensive player who has been successful in various styles. The number one priority for A.D. this offseason is to focus on making a full recovery from an injured knee. That will determine the timetable for his return to the court."

De La Rosa tore his ACL in March, and he is still going through the post-op recovery process. According to a source close to the program, he is ahead of schedule in his recovery. And on Monday, De La Rosa posted a video on Instagram that showed him putting up shots at the Ubben practice facility.

Barring any setbacks, De La Rosa should be able to get some minutes in November. The Illini staff wants to get him playing without limitations by December.

"Best-case scenario, early December," a source told Illini Inquirer earlier this month. "Worst-case, late December."

This addition gives the Illinois frontcourt another seven-footer, along with incoming freshman Samba Kane -- who is expected to return to campus next month after he clears up a transcript issue that prevented him from enrolling in summer courses.

While Kane will bring run-and-jump athleticism with a slender frame, De La Rosa can be a space-eater in the paint with his size and strength. He can finish around the basket with both hands, and he’s shown a nice drop-step move towards the baseline. De La Rosa can play in the mid-post as well with an ability to face up and hit midrange jumpers.

The Illini will certainly like his aggression on the backboards, as he was top-70 in the country last season in offensive rebounding percentage. That has traditionally been an area of strength for Underwood-coached teams.

De La Rosa was recruited by Illini assistant Orlando Antigua, who has a family connection to the big man that dates back to 2011 -- when De La Rosa played for Antigua's brother, Oliver Antigua, on a traveling team that competed in the Dominican Republic.

Illinois still has one scholarship remaining for the upcoming season.