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

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 30: A moment of silence is held for Robert Archibald prior to a college basketball game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2020 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Mark Mitchell

The next player Illinois is keeping an eye on right now is Mark Mitchell. There seems to be a trend with the Illini for the class of 2022. They are targeting some size, which is always nice to see.

Mitchell is a 6-foot-7, 185-pound power forward from Immaculata High School and resides in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 21 player in the class of 2022 and the No. 7 power forward in the nation. He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Kansas.

ESPN’s ranking of Mitchell is about right on par with the rest of the recruiting sites. They have him somewhere between 17-25 in the country. That means this kid is likely to be something special.

There is a lot to love about Mitchell’s game. I want to first start off with his touch. Within 10 feet of the hoop, this kid can make just about everything. He has an amazing feel for the ball and knows where he is on the court at all times. How polished he is inside is incredible.

I believe Mitchell is trying to become a more complete player and is working on his outside game. This is fantastic and will make him such a valuable basketball player. I also love his defensive ability. Overall, he reminds me a lot of Leron Black but with more finesse.

So far, Mitchell only has two scholarship offers and that is from Kansas and Wake Forest. I think the Jayhawks are going to be the frontrunner for him. They will be difficult to beat. But Illinois has started to make contact with Mitchell over the last few days. I would be curious to see if we can get in on his recruitment and make some waves.

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