Illinois Basketball: Ranking the Illini Recruiting Classes for the Last Decade

The main reason the class of 2009 is the No. 3 class in the last ten years is because of the impact the four players had on the program.

This class was led by the duo of DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul.

Richardson was one of the best three-point shooters in the history of the Illinois basketball program.  He helped lead the Illini to the NCAA Tournament in multiple seasons as well.

Paul made a huge impact himself.

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There were multiple occasions that Paul hit last-second shots to win games.  He also had a huge 43-point game against Ohio State that will never be forgotten.

Paul was the main scorer and leader on a team that should have made it to the Sweet 16 if it wasn’t for a bad call against Miami.

Joe Bertrand was a key contributor on that team as well.  He was a 3-star recruit that would help Illinois win games.

Bertrand would come off the bench and give energy and life to an Illini team that would need it on the court.

The final player in this class was Tyler Griffey.

Griffey was a 3-star player that just did his job.  He could hit a shot from the outside or post you up on the block.  I loved what he could bring to the game.

The most memorable play in Griffey’s career and possibly the history of the Illini basketball team is when he made the layup to beat No. 1, Indiana.

This class had solid recruiting talent and the players produced as well.  That is why they are No. 3 on this list.

Next: No. 2 Recruiting Class