Illinois Basketball: Upcoming weekend is big for both Illini programs

This upcoming weekend could go down as one that many Illinois basketball fans will never forget.

Not one, not two, but three top 100 players are coming up to Champaign to see what the Illini program is all about. The headliner of the visit is big man, Oscar Tshiebwe.

Tshiebwe is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound center from Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 22 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 8 center in the nation. In addition to Tshiebwe, Illinois also has two big-time forwards visiting as well.

EJ Liddell has been one of the main targets for the Illini for quite some time. He 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. 47 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 10 power forward in the nation.

The final piece to the Illini class of 2019 puzzle is Terrence Shannon. Shannon’s recruitment is starting to settle down a bit, and he is finally able to take more visits. He is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward from Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, Illinois, although he will be attending IMG Academy in Florida this season. Shannon is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 80 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 22 small forward in the nation.

These three players would be amazing in the Orange and Blue. Illinois has been set at guard for the last few seasons. All they really have been missing is some size in the paint. That is what they would be getting with this trio.

If Illinois can get these three players to pledge their commitment to the program, that would help boost the team to potentially a national title contender in the next two seasons. That is how good I think they could be. But, this isn’t just a huge weekend for the men’s basketball team. The Illinois women’s basketball team has some big-time visitors as well.

According to Brad Sturdy, three huge Illinois women’s basketball recruits for the class of 2019 will be up this weekend as well. This group will be led by Brea Beal.

Beal is a 6-foot wing from Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Illinois. She is rated as a five-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 13 player in the class of 2019. Beal has already narrowed her top five and included Michigan, Duke, South Carolina, Louisville and Illinois. Snagging her would be huge for the program.

Klarke Sconiers is another player who will be up to Champaign this weekend. She is a 6-foot-3 post player from Christ the King High School in Middle Village, New York. She is rated as a three-star recruit who has a grade of 89 overall. Sconiers would help give some size to the Illini in the paint. She has narrowed her list down to just seven programs and included Northwestern, Cincinnati, Auburn, Quinnipiac, UMass, Minnesota and Illinois.

The final player coming for the women’s team is Jeanae Terry. She is a 5-foot-8 guard who has started to garner some serious national recruiting attention. She has also cut her list down to just five teams and kept Texas Tech, Rutgers, Ole Miss, Miami (FL) and Illinois. Getting here would help the guard depth for the Illini.

If there was one weekend that could turn around both of the Illinois basketball programs, this would be the weekend. There are some seriously talented players heading to Champaign. Hopefully, the coaches can close the deal.