Illinois Basketball: Illini add their name to the mix for Mac Etienne

In the midst of the National Signing Day rush, the Illinois basketball team handed out a scholarship to a big-time player.

I think all Illini fans can agree that is has been awesome watching Kofi Cockburn dominate in the paint this season. He has played so well that this might be his only season with the Orange and Blue. Selfishly, I would love to see him come back. But, even if he did leave, the silver lining is the fact Brad Underwood was able to send a big man to the NBA. Either way, the ascent of Kofi will hopefully help snag other big men like Micawber “Mac” Etienne.

Etienne is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center from Suffield Academy and resides in Suffield, Connecticut. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 61 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 9 center in the nation. He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Connecticut.

On Tuesday, Etienne announced on Twitter that he had received a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois. This is a wise offer by the Illini for many reasons.

The first reason I have already touched on above. The success of Kofi and, really, Giorgi Bezhanishvili has to bode well for Underwood landing big men in the future. His coaching staff has done a great job developing these players since joining the program. If I was a big man, I would have to seriously think about coming to Champaign.

Another reason this is a wise offer is the fact Illinois has done a great job snagging players from the east coast. Kofi played basketball in New York and then Oak Hill. Alan Griffin is from New York. Giorgi played basketball in New Jersey. Incoming guard Andrew Curbelo is also from New York. That east coast connection is clearly there.

Overall, this would be a great get for the Orange and Blue. We are going to need more big men because Kofi isn’t going to be here long. If we can snag someone like Etienne, the future will be even brighter.