Illinois Basketball: Illini getting unofficial visit from Zeke Nnaji
As the Illinois basketball team tries to figure out who is going to be in the class of 2019, they continue to get good news on the visit front.
Corey Evans of Rivals released Zeke Nnaji’s unofficial visit schedule on Wednesday and the Illini are in the mix. He will be visiting the following schools according to the article; August 10 – Creighton, 11 – Kansas State, 24 – Notre Dame, 25 – Ohio State, 26 – Indiana, 27 – Purdue and 28 – Illinois.
Nnaji is a 6-foot-10, 215-pound power forward from Hopkins High School in Hopkins, Minnesota. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 29 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 7 power forward in the nation.
Getting in on another big-time recruit for the class of 2019 is crucial for the Illini. They just missed out on their top target – Kahlil Whitney – on Wednesday, but the Illini still have quite a few targets left on the board. Adding another one, especially of Nnaji’s caliber, is great for the program.
Illinois has some great benefits to offer a big man from the class of 2019. One of the bigger benefits the Illini can offer is the starting job at the No. 5 spot. Nnaji can come in day one and secure the starting role at this position. Looking at the list of unofficial visits, I am not sure any other program can offer that benefit.
The Illini can also offer an up-tempo style game with a duo of guards who can get Nnaji the ball in the post or off screens. It is going to be hard to find a better set of guards anywhere else. Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier can instantly make any big man a better player on the court.
Nnaji is a caliber of big man that Illinois fans haven’t seen before in the Orange and Blue. He has your typical big man skills in the paint. He can force his way to the hoop for a score. He can also get rebounds too. But, I like his ability to hit a shot from deep. The ability to make the three-point shot adds another element to his game that is hard to stop.
During this summer’s Adidas Gauntlet, Nnaji tore up the competition. He played in 11 games and averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. His shooting impressed me the most, though. He was 60.6-percent from the field and 50-percent from the three-point line going 12-of-24.
Illinois needs another big man for the class of 2019. If they can snag someone like Nnaji who can shoot the ball as well, that would be a big bonus to the team. I am curious where this recruitment goes. Illinois will, hopefully, be in the mix.