6-foot-8 forward transfers to Illini

CHAMPAIGN — Coastal Carolina’s Sam McLaurin, a 6-foot-8 forward, has signed a tender of financial aid and will transfer to Illinois for his final season upon earning his bachelor’s degree this month, Illini men’s basketball coach John Groce announced Friday.

McLaurin will enroll as a graduate student at Illinois and will be eligible to compete immediately during the 2012-13 season under the NCAA one-time transfer exception.

McLaurin is a 6-8, 230-pound forward who started all 31 games for the Chanticleers last season, averaging 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 65.2 percent from the field. He scored a career-best 20 points on March 13 against Old Dominion and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in a victory over LSU on Nov. 15.

McLaurin scored in double figures in 18 games on the year and recorded five double-doubles. He totaled 674 points and shot nearly 62 percent during his four-year career and owns the Coastal Carolina record for career blocked shots with 155 while ranking seventh on the school’s all-time rebounding list with 647 boards.

“With Meyers Leonard entering the NBA Draft, we looked to increase our frontcourt depth,” Groce said. “Sam fills that need, and by earning his degree, he will have the opportunity to contribute immediately. He rebounds and blocks shots, and is a strong finisher inside.”