Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Peach Jam

3. The most efficient Illini target is DJ Steward

Most of the Illini target’s teams didn’t do well. The Mac Irvin Fire was 0-5 and so were the MeanStreets. But in addition to this being a tournament, it was also a platform for talented players to show off their skills. DJ Steward showed everyone why he is one of the best in the country.

Steward is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound guard from Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 27 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 6 combo guard in the nation. He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois as well.

Not only did Steward impress the massive over the last week, but his recruitment was made a little more difficult for all teams involved. The latest team to offer Steward a scholarship is the Duke Blue Devils. When Duke steps in, who knows what is going to happen.

Regardless of who has offered this kid, he continues to perform with the best of the best. His EYBL regular season was spectacular. He averaged 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game during the regular season. He did all of this while shooting 50.8-percent from the field, 83.1-percent from the free throw line and 40.6-percent from three-point range.

While Steward’s scoring in the Peach Jam wasn’t as good as his regular season, he still elevated his game in other areas to help his team. He ended the Peach Jam averaging 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. These are still really impressive numbers.

I want a lot of resources to be put into Steward if the Illinois coaching staff feels that he is serious about potentially coming to Champaign. If he gives any indication that he wants to suit up for the Orange and Blue, then we need to dump everything into him. His efficiency at a level of basketball that tends to be wildly inefficient impresses me more than anything.