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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini recruiting targets left for the class of 2021

By Rees Woodcock

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: A basketball is shot through the hoop during warmups prior to Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: A basketball is shot through the hoop during warmups prior to Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ – FEBRUARY 15: The logo of the Illinois Fighting Illini on the uniform shorts during in a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on February 15, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

3. Mac Etienne

There are a few big men who I want to see on the Illinois basketball team when 2021 rolls around. I have mentioned one in Charles Bediako already. He is a solid No. 5 who could help this program. But I am not sure where exactly we stand with him.

One player I am more comfortable with moving forward in the recruiting game is Micawber “Mac” Etienne. He is someone who has been on the Illini radar for quite some time and would help the program immensely.

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. 59 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 12 center in the nation. He is also the best player in the state of Connecticut.

Illinois has made Etienne a priority from day one. This kid has impressed the coaching staff and fanbase. The Illini ended up offering him a scholarship back in December 2019. They watched his games and had him in for a visit in February. There seems to be a lot of momentum there with the Illini.

Of course, more teams are coming in with offers now. Kansas and Louisville both offered Etienne in the past month. We all know the waters can get murky with those two teams involved. But I think the presence of Orlando Antigua in the recruitment of Etienne could help immensely.

I honestly like Illinois’ chances of landing the big man. Etienne can come into a program that needs another No. 5 on the roster. He could start from day one in 2021. This would be a perfect marriage.

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