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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 – FEBRUARY 15: Robbie Hummel #4 and Ryne Smith #24 of the Purdue Boilermakers block out against Meyers Leonard #12 of the Illinois Fighting Illini at Assembly Hall on February 15, 2012 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue won 67-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 15: Robbie Hummel #4 and Ryne Smith #24 of the Purdue Boilermakers block out against Meyers Leonard #12 of the Illinois Fighting Illini at Assembly Hall on February 15, 2012 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue won 67-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Meyers Leonard

Some of these players, for one reason or another, should have an asterisk next to their name because they didn’t play a lot for the Illini. I would venture to say Meyers Leonard would be more toward the top of this list if he played more than two years with the Orange and Blue.

Leonard is the highest-rated recruit on this list and someone who could have been really special in the college game. He was a four-star recruit who was the No. 30 player in the class of 2010 and the No. 6 center in the nation. He was also the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois that year, right behind Illini commit Jereme Richmond.

Year one was rough for Leonard. Bruce Weber only started him one game, but the team still managed to get to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Illinois then had a big collapse during Leonard’s sophomore campaign, but he still had a good season. He finished that year averaging 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

After his sophomore season, Leonard headed to the NBA. He is currently down in Miami playing for the Heat, but I just think about what could have been if he stuck around another year or two. He checks in at No. 4 on the best in-state recruits over the last decade.

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