Illinois Basketball: Illini targets in the top 150 for the class of 2020

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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) /

3. Nimari Burnett – No. 42

I mentioned previously that Caleb Love was a player flying under the radar when it comes to Illinois recruiting. Another player that fits that mold is Nimari Burnett.

Burnett is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard from Prolific Prep High School in Napa, California. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is now the No. 42 player in the class of 2020. Burnett has made one of the biggest jumps in the class. He was originally ranked as the No. 62 recruit but has jumped 20 spots.

Just about a year and a half ago, Burnett decided to transfer to Prolific Prep in California. This was a move that surprised some people. But, the school he was transferring from was Morgan Park High School in Chicago. This connection to the state of Illinois is going to be huge for the Illini.

Illinois was actually one of the first programs to offer Burnett a scholarship. Brad Underwood was less than two months on the job, and they extended the offer to Burnett. Since that offer, he has received a lot of attention from other big-time programs like Arizona, Ohio State and Indiana.

I am hoping that Illinois has a solid advantage with the early offer and location. They could use more guards when 2020 rolls around. This is going to be a big guard class. The combination of Burnett and Miller would be deadly in the Big Ten.

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