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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini in-state recruits from the last decade

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 08: Giorgi Bezhanishvili (GEO)(15) forward University of Illinois Fighting Illini sets a pick for Ayo Dosunmu (11) guard University of Illinois Fighting Illini against the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Runnin Rebels, December 8, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 08: Giorgi Bezhanishvili (GEO)(15) forward University of Illinois Fighting Illini sets a pick for Ayo Dosunmu (11) guard University of Illinois Fighting Illini against the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Runnin Rebels, December 8, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 30: Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Illinois Fighting Illini stands on the court during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at State Farm Center on December 30, 2015 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 30: Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Illinois Fighting Illini stands on the court during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at State Farm Center on December 30, 2015 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

5. Kendrick Nunn

Simeon was a dominant Chicago high school program in the early 2010s. They had some great players lead them to some great heights. Despite the Illini not getting the best player in Jabari Parker, we settled for his running-mate, Kendrick Nunn.

Nunn is the third-highest ranked recruit on this top five list. He was rated as a four-star recruit who was the No. 56 player in the class of 2013 and the No. 18 shooting guard in the nation. He was also the second-best player in Illinois that year, right behind Parker.

Illinois didn’t have a ton of success when Nunn was in Champaign, but he did put up some great numbers. During his junior year, Nunn averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  His senior season was supposed to be even better.

Sadly, Nunn got into some legal trouble. After a guilty plea of a misdemeanor battery charge, Nunn was dismissed from the team. He ended up finishing his basketball career with Oakland where he averaged 25.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. This is a big, what could have been?

Despite the turmoil in his life, Nunn was still one of the best in-state players to play for the Illini. I would put him as the No. 5 best in-state player in the last decade.

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