There are a lot of big-time recruits still left for the class of 2020, and the Illinois basketball team seems to be hot on the trail for some of those talented players.
I have said it numerous times, the Illini could be in a sticky situation after this season when it comes to the guard roles on the team. Ayo Dosunmu will be departing and so will his backup, Andres Feliz. That will leave a massive gap at the No. 1 guard spot. Depending on how good of a season Trent Frazier has, he could be gone as well. This is why the class of 2020 is so important. Adding someone like DJ Steward would make the transition, from the current guard regime to the new guard regime, seamless.
Steward is a 6-foot-3, 165-pound combo guard from Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 31 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 7 combo guard in the nation. He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois as well.
On Monday, Evan Daniels of 247Sports tweeted out that Steward was going to take an unofficial visit to Illinois on Wednesday. This is a big visit for the Illini considering how much this kid is needed. Illinois also has a lot to offer him including the fact Ayo is going to the NBA after his sophomore campaign. That shows Illinois can be a hub to get to The Association.
Four-star guard DJ Steward will also take an unofficial visit to Illinois on Wednesday, he tells @247Sports. Picked up an offer from NC State today as well.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 25, 2019
It is going to be tough to predict where Steward is going to go, though. He has over 15 scholarship offers and is taking unofficial visits to a variety of programs. Some of the scarier teams going after Steward include Arizona, Notre Dame and Michigan State. But Illinois does have that Chicago connection and they do provide the chance for Steward’s family to see him play frequently.
Illinois also has the playing time factor on their side as well. Steward could come into the program and, likely, start from day one. That is a luxury not many teams can provide.
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So, the Illini can send you to the NBA, provide your family with the proximity to come see you play each game and you can start right away. It looks like Illinois is the complete package and would be a perfect fit for Steward.