Illinois big man Dain Dainja became the second transfer portal pickup in as many days for Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway Friday.

Dainja (6-foot-10, 258 pounds) announced his decision to join the Tigers on social media, just days after taking an official visit to Memphis. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Dainja's commitment comes less than 24 hours after Hardaway landed combo guard PJ Haggerty.

Dainja entered the transfer portal on Monday and more than 50 schools reached out to him. He took an official visit to Memphis on Tuesday. The 21-year-old told The Commercial Appeal Thursday the Tigers stood out for a variety of reasons, including: they were the first program to make contact with him and how he felt comfortable as soon as he arrived on campus.

“The first thing that caught my attention was how (Hardaway and assistant coach Rick Stansbury) knew different parts of my game very well,” said Dainja. “Even back from high school. Just their authenticity really stood out to me.

“But, man, just the whole visit I was comfortable. When I got down there, I felt like that was the best visit I’ve ever had in terms of them just knowing my game.”

The native Minnesotan spent the past two seasons with the Illini. Dainja fills a significant void for Hardaway, who is once again rebuilding the bulk of his roster through the transfer portal. Only forward Nicholas Jourdain, wing Ashton Hardaway and walk-on guards Joe Cooper and Noah Stansbury are expected to return. Leading scorer David Jones has another season of eligibility, but it is unclear whether he will forgo it in favor of turning pro. Memphis also has one incoming high school signee in four-star guard Jared Harris.

Dainja plans to report to the Tigers in late May or early June.

After beginning his career at Baylor, Dainja made the move to Illinois and played a substantial role his first season. Appearing in 33 games (21 starts) in 2022-23, Dainja averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for coach Brad Underwood. Getting 20.6 minutes per game, he also tallied 39 blocks and 25 steals.

But, in 2023-24, Dainja's playing time was cut in half as Underwood opted for more versatility in his starting lineup. Dainja's production diminished along with his playing time, as he averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game. He also put up 22 blocks and seven steals for a team that won the Big Ten tournament and reached the Elite Eight before falling to UConn.

Dainja said it was not an easy adjustment. But he handled it well, which was something Hardaway appreciated.

“They were just really impressed with how I handled my situation,” said Dainja. “Everything was going right, but things just changed very quickly. So, it was hard at first, but I handled myself like a pro.”

Dainja came up big in spots for the Illini this season, dropping 18 points against Ohio State to spark a second-half comeback in the Big Ten quarterfinals. He also put up 21 points against Morehead State in the first-round NCAA Tournament game.

PJ HAGGERTY: What PJ Haggerty brings to Memphis basketball for coach Penny Hardaway

The regular signing period opens April 17 and runs through May 15 but players are still eligible to sign after that. There are more than 1,000 names still in the transfer portal with more being added every day. The last day a player can enter the portal and still be eligible for the 2024-25 season is May 1, but players do not have to commit or sign by that date.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball adds Dain Dainja, Illinois transfer big man