Illinois Basketball: James Bouknight receives offer from Illini

Another scholarship offer was handed out last night by the Illinois basketball coaching staff.

The recipient of this offer was James Bouknight. He is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound shooting guard from MacDuffie High School in Granby, Massachusetts. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 88 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 11 shooting guard in the nation.

Bouknight’s recruitment has really started to pick up over the last few weeks. He has received offers from some big-time programs such as Virginia Tech, Indiana and Wichita State. One of the reasons he is starting to really rack up the scholarship offers right now is the fact he is finally healthy again.

Throughout much of the AAU season, Bouknight couldn’t play due to an injury. But, he was able to come back for The Hoop Group Summer Jam. While his PSA Cardinals team didn’t fare well, Bouknight still put up some numbers. He dropped 33 points in one game, which included seven three-pointers.

When you watch Bouknight play, his game won’t jump off the page. He isn’t doing massive dunks with shockwaves that the next town over can feel. He likely won’t throw a behind the back pass to have another player score. But, what impresses me about his game is his ability to use his mind.

Bouknight brings everything I want to the game of basketball. His ability to knock down the three-point shot is great. He can get into the lane and finish at the hoop. He can shoot the mid-range jumper. He glides around the basketball court. And he is extremely smart.

Whoever ends up nabbing Bouknight will get an underrated recruit at No. 88. He has the talent to be a top 60 player, but I believe he isn’t because of his injuries and he doesn’t have flash. I would take substance over flash and believe me; Bouknight has a lot of substance to his game.