Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Basketball: Summary of Illini recruits in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 05: A fan of the Illinois Fighting Illini with full paint on his body cheers during the game against the Michigan State Spartans on January 5, 2006 at the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 05: A fan of the Illinois Fighting Illini with full paint on his body cheers during the game against the Michigan State Spartans on January 5, 2006 at the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Illinois basketball team had a handful of recruits playing in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam this past week.

These players have a chance to be the foundation of an Illini program that is on the rise. They will, hopefully, commit to playing for Brad Underwood and his coaching staff.

Here is how the Illini recruits fared in the Peach Jam.

Tim Finke

The stat line for Tim Finke in the Peach Jam isn’t bad. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Those are decent numbers at face value but looking at his field goal percentage, there is something to worry about. He only shot 37.5-percent from the field in the five games he played in the Peach Jam. That number is shockingly low but hopefully, things will change.

Finke did finish the Peach Jam off strong, though. He scored 17 points and shot 7-of-10 from the field which included 3-of-6 from the three-point line. He is a streaky shooter but I think his game would still be great in Underwood’s offense.

EJ Liddell

Rising class of 2019 superstar, EJ Liddell, aged up in this EYBL season and did pretty well in the Peach Jam. He finished the tournament averaging 13.8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Those are numbers Illinois could use today, let alone in 2019.

Liddell was 69.7-percent from the field, which is what he should be for playing around the rim at 6-foot-7, 200-pounds. He also was 50-percent from the three-point line going 2-of-4 for the tournament. That is an area to keep an eye on as well. One of the most impressive areas is Liddell’s free throw shooting. Usually, with a player who is bigger, the free throw shooting lacks. But, he ended up shooting 72.4-percent from the free throw line. He will be a wanted man when the recruiting scene heats up.

Francis Okoro

Another player who aged up this EYBL season is Francis Okoro. He played for the Bradley Beal Elite team alongside Liddell. Okoro was a solid player for the team averaging 8 points and 7 rebounds per game. You have to remember, he will have another year in the AAU and those numbers will increase greatly next season.

Next: Class of 2018 recruits pros and cons

Okoro kept his efficiency up shooting 63-percent from the field. This should be expected considering he is a 6-foot-9, 220-pound big man. He does need to work on this free throw shooting, though. He was only 46.2-percent from the charity stripe, which could end up being a liability if a team goes Hack-a-Shaq. Overall, Illinois needs this type of big man in the paint. He should be priority No. 1 for 2019.

Home/Illinois Basketball Recruiting