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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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CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 19: The Illinois Fighting Illini logo is seen on courtside seats before the start of the college basketball game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Illinois Fighting Illini on November 19, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Brandon Weston

Illinois’ presence in the Chicago area since Brad Underwood took over the program has been leaps and bounds better than the previous coaching regime. We are actually able to land top players from northern Illinois.

Ayo Dosunmu really kicked off the Chicago trend. Adam Miller followed him up with a commitment and signing this year for 2020. Now it is time to see who else we can snag from Chicago. One of the big targets should be Brandon Weston.

Weston is a 6-foot-5, 195-pound small forward from Morgan Park High School and resides in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 61 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 13 small forward in the nation. He is also the No. 3 player in the state of Illinois.

Out of the five players on this list, I am most comfortable with saying Illinois has the best chance at landing Weston. We have developed such a great rapport with Morgan Park and their top players seem to like the program. The fact Ayo departed for the NBA and could, potentially, get drafted into the NBA has to be a bonus too.

It doesn’t feel like there are other teams who are as close to Watson as the Illini are right now. Wake Forest is the other team that is “warm” according to 247Sports, but they just fired their head coach. That should leave the door wide open for the Illini to land the talented wing. The big question remains, will he be able to reclassify for 2020? I would bet he has to stay in the class of 2021.

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