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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 recruits who will change the Illini program

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Lou Henson signature is seen on the court before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Lou Henson signature is seen on the court before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 15: A detail view of the March Madness logo that is embossed into the official tournament basketballs is seen during an open public practice during the practice day before the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament on March 15, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. EJ Liddell

The other part of the class of 2019 duo that Illinois is targeting is EJ Liddell. He is a player the Illini have been targeting for a while and someone I hope they can pull into the program.

Liddell is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward from Belleville West High School in Belleville, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 51 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 9 power forward in the nation. Illinois has a lot of work left to do when it comes to Liddell’s recruitment.

The reason I have Liddell on this list is that he is going to be a tough get for many reasons. I feel like Illinois has struggled recruiting southern Illinois and St. Louis over the last decade. Yes, there have been a few good ones come out of there but for the most part, the big-time players have headed elsewhere.

Liddell is a good gauge on if Illinois will be able to land players from down there in future. He is a player who the Illini have been targeting. If they could get Liddell, it would be huge for the program on the court and would show they can have a pull in that area as well.

The AAU team Liddell plays for right now is Brad Beal Elite. Illinois seems to always be in the running for their players but can’t either get them to commit to the Orange and Blue or they can’t hold on to them. Some examples would be Francis Okoro committing to Oregon. Jeremiah Tilmon was another example of letting one slip away.

So, Liddell would be huge for the Illinois program on the floor and on the recruiting front. Getting him would help establish a presence in that area and show players Illinois is a destination for basketball greatness.

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