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Illinois Basketball: Illini getting official visit from Maurice Calloo

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 recruiting trail is often fluid, and that is why multiple names continue to pop up throughout the process.

A name that was talked about but then fell off the map is Maurice Calloo. Calloo’s name is now back in the Illini conversation after some big news from Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Zagoria is reporting that Calloo is taking an official visit to St. John’s this weekend and then will follow that up with an official visit to Ole Miss the next weekend and then Illinois the weekend after that.

I believe Calloo would be a good addition to this Illinois basketball team. He is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound recruit from Huntington Prep in Huntington, West Virginia. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 288 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 49 power forward in the nation.

Calloo transferred from Huntington Prep and landed with Oak Hill Academy in 2017. He then transferred back to Huntington Prep, according to Zagoria. Overall, though, this kid is exactly what Illinois needs on the basketball court.

One of the top priorities I had for the Illini was replacing Leron Black. Losing Black hurt this team more than anything because he was such a good player and an important piece that could move around the floor. Illinois needs to find someone who can also stretch the court and get defenders moving. That is what I think Calloo brings to the table.

Calloo isn’t limited to just paint work, but he can bump around inside. He has the body to be able to take hits in the lane and still get the ball up to the basket. But, he can also step out and shoot the three-point shot as well.

Next: Ranking the last 10 Illini recruiting classes

There are a handful of teams vying for Calloo’s commitment and Illinois is in that mix. This would be a really strong get for them. Calloo has an impressive group of teams after him, which means his No. 288 ranking is probably low. Judging by his scholarship offers, I would put him more in the 110-130 range. Hopefully, the Illini can pull off this commitment.

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