The Intriguing Potential of Carey Booth: A Key Piece for Illini Basketball

How Carey Booth’s Versatility Could Elevate Illinois and Create an Exciting Partnership with Kasparas Jakucionis

The idea of Carey Booth intrigues the hell out of me. The 6’10” sophomore, who transferred from Notre Dame, seems to get lost in the shuffle with all the new talent Illinois has brought in this season. Yet, his length, athleticism, and shooting potential are reasons why NBA scouts are keeping tabs on him. In this post, I’ll explore what reasonable expectations for Booth are this season, and also dive into the potential two-man game he could develop with Kasparas Jakucionis if Booth takes a huge leap and realizes his full potential.

Realistic Role and Skill Set

A fair expectation for Carey Booth this season is to fill a role similar to that of Quincy Guerrier. On offense, this would involve standing in the corner, ready to take catch-and-shoot threes. When defenders close out too hard, Booth could drive those closeouts, take a straight line to the rim, rise up, and finish strong. This role wouldn’t require him to be heavily involved in actions or responsible for handling the ball. Instead, Booth would provide spacing by hitting threes and driving to the rim when the defense is overloaded to the strong side. He would also need to make timely cuts, grab some offensive rebounds, and be solid on defense, particularly in securing defensive rebounds.

His length makes him an interesting prospect as a weak-side help defender. With his athleticism and wingspan, Booth can rotate down and provide some rim protection. At Notre Dame, he was too light at 200 pounds to effectively play center, as he often struggled to hold his ground against stronger post players. However, Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher has reportedly helped Booth pack on muscle and increase his weight this offseason. This added strength might allow Booth to play some minutes at the five, where he could be more effective in holding his position and providing defensive stability.

Expanded Role: Imagining the Ceiling

This is where it gets exciting because I can’t stop thinking about what Carey Booth’s ceiling could be and how well he might play alongside Kasparas Jakucionis.

Kasparas Jakucionis, if you haven’t read my last piece, is poised to be an elite college playmaker. He can score at every level and has elite vision, feel, and passing ability. The Illinois offense will likely shift away from “booty ball” this season and lean more into a ball screen-heavy offense. So, how might those ball screens look with the Illini frontcourt?

KJ can run pick-and-pop with the great three-point shooter Ben Humrichous. Then Morez Johnson will be able to set screens and roll to the basket, potentially becoming an elite offensive rebounder off the two-man game. To illustrate this, consider the Memphis Grizzlies’ dynamic with Ja Morant and Steven Adams. Adams would dominate teams with his offensive rebounding by rolling to the basket. When Morant drove downhill, both defenders would often focus on stopping his drive, leaving Adams unguarded for putbacks. KJ and Morez Johnson could employ a similar strategy. If KJ gets downhill and the defenders are drawn to him, he can simply put up a floater, knowing that Johnson will be there to clean up the miss.

With Tomislav Ivisic, the offense could become even more versatile. Ivisic can shoot, allowing for pick-and-pop plays. He can also short roll, making plays 4-on-3 by passing out to shooters. While Ivisic may not be a rim runner, his good feel and understanding of positioning could allow him to find advantageous spots near the basket, where KJ’s elite passing could find him in the two-man game.

The potential avenues a KJ-Booth two-man game could take are what excite me most. No matter what the defense tries to take away, they will have a counter. And while this may not be the most likely outcome for Booth as a sophomore, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the possibilities.

Booth’s shooting potential is well-documented. Although he didn’t shoot the three efficiently at Notre Dame, I expect him to improve in his second year of college. He was much better on standstill shots and catch-and-shoot opportunities, while he struggled with pull-ups. At Notre Dame, Booth spent a lot of time on the perimeter and even participated in pick-and-pop plays. Imagine a Kasparas Jakucionis-Carey Booth ball screen action: Booth has the ability to pop out and shoot it, while KJ can step back and shoot it himself.

I also like Booth as a rim runner. With his length and athleticism, he might be the best lob catcher on the team. Jakucionis drawing the defense in should open up the lob game for Booth. If Booth gets the ball on the short roll, he has the athleticism to rise up and score over or around the defender. He could also develop a floater game in this role to provide even more versatility and counters to the defense. And if KJ can’t pass him the ball, Booth can roll down to the dunker spot, ready for a potential lob or offensive rebound putback. Meanwhile, KJ can pull up from midrange, get to the basket, or pass it out to a shooter if a third defender comes over to stop the two-man game.

Conclusion: The Bright Future Ahead

While this vision of Booth’s expanded role may be ambitious for his sophomore season, it’s reasonable to expect him to improve his three-point shooting, shot quality, and ability to attack closeouts. Over time, he could add more to his short roll game and develop a reliable floater. But even if these things take time, Booth’s potential is intriguing. Anytime you have a player with his combination of length, athleticism, and shooting ability, scouts will be excited—especially when he’s playing alongside a talent like Kasparas Jakucionis, who can create opportunities for Booth to finish.

And we haven’t even delved into Booth’s defensive potential as he continues to add strength and size. No matter what, the future looks bright in Champaign, IL, and while Carey Booth might not be getting much attention right now, he could very well become a key part of teams success.