Illinois Basketball: 3 reasons Mac Etienne should be priority No. 1 for Illini

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood signals a play during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. Dwindling options at No. 5

I realize that Illinois isn’t out of some of the other big man recruitments. They are still a “warm” with Charles Bediako, but Illinois hasn’t been mentioned with his recruitment since February. That makes me hesitant about the possibilities of actually landing him.

Beyond Bediako, there aren’t a lot of other big men the Illini are pursuing. The next best option according to the rankings is Mac Etienne. He 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. 57 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 11 center in the nation.

At one time, Illinois was in the running for a multitude of big men include Etienne. But as time went on, the field narrowed leaving only a few left for the Illini to snag. We have been there for Etienne since his recruitment blew up, and we continue being a presence in his recruitment today.

I think it would hurt the Illini if we couldn’t land Etienne as well. I am looking at the options for a backup plan and, honestly, there is nothing in sight. If we weren’t able to land him, I think the coaching staff would have to look toward the graduate transfer market for someone who could play the No. 5 spot. That is a scary thing to think about. That is why Etienne is such a priority in my eyes.

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