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Illinois Basketball: 5 players to watch from the updated 2022 ESPN 60

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – FEBRUARY 18: The Illinois Fighting Illini logo on a pair of shorts during a college basketball game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Bryce Jordan Center on February 18, 2020 in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

1. AJ Casey

There are a ton of great players coming from the class of 2022, but there is only a handful of the 2022 ESPN 60 who the Illini are strongly pursuing. I would say the highest-rated recruit on the board right now would be AJ Casey.

Casey is a 6-foot-7, 200-pound power forward from Tinley Park High School and resides in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 18 player in the class of 2022 and the No. 6 power forward in the nation. He is also the best player in the state of Illinois.

ESPN thinks highly of Casey. They have him ranked higher than any recruiting site I see out there right now. I believe this kid is going to be the real deal too.

Casey already has the size of a college player. Standing at 6-foot-7 and only getting bigger, I feel like he is going to be a dominant force in college basketball. His ability to move around the court is phenomenal. He isn’t just an athletic freak by any means. Casey has a solid shot and is aggressive with the ball. I can’t wait to see what he can do when he finally matures into his body.

I would say Illinois is right there for Casey’s commitment. But, let’s be honest, it is way too early to determine anything yet. The kid only has three scholarship offers, which will increase dramatically over the next year. At the end of the day, I believe the Illini will be in the Casey recruitment.

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