Illinois Basketball 2024-25 Scouting Reports: F Carey Booth

A 6-foot-10 Notre Dame transfer, Booth should bring a ton of versatility to the table for the Illini

Feb 10, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Carey Booth (0) dribbles the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies guard Tyler Nickel (23) in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Every day over the two weeks leading up to Illinois' Nov. 4 regular-season opener at Champaign's State Farm Center, Illinois on SI will share a scouting report for each Illini player listed on the team's official roster. Today, in the first of 14, we shine a light on forward Carey Booth.

Wednesday: Kylan Boswell

Carey Booth, 6-foot-10 forward

Where he's from

Booth, who went to high school in Colorado before a year of prep school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, is the son of former NBA veteran Calvin Booth and was a top-50 recruit in 2023. He delivered on that promise as a Notre Dame freshman last season before transferring to Illinois over the summer.

What he's done

Although perhaps discussed less frequently than some of the Illini's other heralded 2024 transfers, Booth should hit the ground sprinting in Champaign. He played in all 33 games for the Fighting Irish as a freshman in 2023-24, averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game – and finished the season on a 15-for-41 (36.6 percent) run from 3-point range.

Meet the Newcomer ➡️ Carey Booth#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/FQLwDRIpsf

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) July 9, 2024

How he helps

Booth embodies coach Brad Underwood's offseason mantra of "shooting and positional size." As a springy, 6-foot-10 rim protector and floor spacer, he should make for a versatile, high-quality, fresh-out-of-the-box rotation player this season – and maybe more.

What they're saying

Teammate Tre White on Booth: "Carey has bounce. He’s like a deer. Like, the way he jumps off one foot is insane."

What we expect

It's shaping up to be the year of Ben Humrichous in Champaign, but Booth could be the Evansville transfer's primary backup – and should even play alongside him in smaller lineups. It will be interesting to see how much muscle Booth has packed on since his freshman year. The ACC isn't exactly kid stuff, but the Big Ten literally hits different.

"Just talked with coach a lot about hitting first – making sure I hit them before they get the opportunity to hit me," Booth said. "So, like, just being low, a low center of gravity, I’ve gotten a lot stronger."

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Will 'Booty Ball' Make a Triumphant Comeback for Illinois Basketball?

Andy Katz Picks Illinois Basketball as a Dark Horse Final Four Contender

Illinois Basketball 2024-25 Season: A Chemistry Experiment With 10 Newcomers