Illinois Basketball: DaRon Holmes receives offer from Illini

The Illinois basketball team has been hot over the past month when it comes to recruiting.

Illinois has added a couple of transfers in during the offseason. We have also added a big man to the mix just about a week ago. But Illinois isn’t done there. They are focusing on the immediate future as well as down the road. One of their most recent offers is to DaRon Holmes.

Holmes is a 6-foot-8, 195-pound power forward from Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 40 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 10 power forward in the nation. He is also the No. 2 player in the state of Arizona.

This is a great offer by the Illini because they are going to need to continue building the frontcourt considering the departures that will happen within the next couple of seasons. But it won’t be easy even getting into Holmes’ recruitment. He sits with roughly nine scholarship offers which include the likes of Vanderbilt, Arizona State and Arizona.

Illinois does have a few strong selling points to land this talented big man, though. They are going to have space on the team for Holmes to come in and start or at least see a ton of early playing time. I see Giorgi Bezhanishvili departing the program after the 2020-2021 campaign, which would leave a massive hole at the No. 4 spot. Holmes could help fill that hole.

The development of players at the No. 4 spot is another huge bonus of coming to Illinois. Leron Black spent one season with Brad Underwood’s coaching staff and saw a huge bump in his numbers. Giorgi came in as an unknown and developed quickly into one of the most electrifying big men in the nation. Holmes could be next in line to see a great career for the Illini.

Holmes is an interesting player to watch on the basketball court. It feels like his body is new to him. He is still getting used to his height and how to manage it in a game. He is extremely talented in multiple areas too. He can shoot the ball from deep. He can run the court well. He can also bang around in the paint. This kid has the potential to be a nightmare for teams in the future.

I love the Illini getting in on Holmes’ recruitment. They might as well try to continue their hot streak with west coast kids. I think we might have a shot at making waves here. He would be a great addition to this team.