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Illinois Basketball: Offer to Samba Kane is huge for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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The Illinois basketball team handed out a few more scholarships on Friday to players who will help the team in near future.

Samba Kane was the recipient of one of those scholarships from the Illini. He is a 7-foot-1, 205-pound big man who attends Florida Preparatory Academy. Kane is originally from Dakar, Africa and came over to play high school basketball in Colorado. He is finishing up his high school play in Florida, though. He is now being looked at by a multitude of programs including the likes of Rutgers and UMass.

Kane helped lead his Florida Prep team to a showing in the Elite 8 of the Florida High School 2A Tournament this season. He is a really good player who continues to improve daily. There are so many things to like about this kid on the basketball court.

The first thing for Illini fans to like is his size. The recruiting sites have him at 6-foot-10, but there are a few more updated sites that show either 7-foot or 7-foot-1. Having a big man to help in the paint would be a big deal. Illinois needs another big for 2018.

I love that Kane isn’t a lumbering big man either. Usually, players the size of Kane aren’t mobile. They have a hard time getting up and down the court. But, that isn’t the case with this kid. He seems to enjoy running the court and having the ball. A part of the reason he is an asset is because of his ability to stay on the court.

The most eye-popping thing about Kane to me is his ability to handle the ball. He isn’t just a big man who can rebound. He has polished offensive skills around the rim. He can also distribute the ball as well. When Kane gets the ball, he is looking to make a play and that is refreshing to see.

Next: Underwood and Illini continue push for Courtney Ramey

There have been offers handed out a lot lately, but I will say this is the best one so far. I really love this offer. If there is a mutual interest, I think Brad Underwood and the Illini staff should shift their focus and resources into bringing Kane onboard. He is a really good player who could take this team from missing five straight NCAA tournaments to being a perennial postseason program.

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