Illinois Basketball: Illini come in with first offer to Kyle Thomas

The past week has been busy on the Illinois basketball front as they try to build for the future.

Being first out on the gate with a recruitment is important. The recruit knowing that you were the first team to recognize their talent always holds a place in the player’s heart. That is why I am excited about the Illini coming in with an offer to Kyle Thomas.

Thomas is a 6-foot-9, 220-pound center from St. Joseph High School and resides in Westchester, Illinois.  He isn’t rated or ranked by the recruiting sites yet, but this 2020 recruit has the potential to have his recruitment blow up in the coming months.

While there are probably a lot of teams who are eyeing Thomas, Illinois is the first program to come out with an offer to the big man. It wouldn’t shock me to see more teams coming in with offers relatively soon, though. I believe this kid has a chance to be pretty good at the next level too.

This past season with St Joseph, Thomas averaged some decent numbers. He finished the year putting up 9.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. The team wasn’t great, only going 14-18, but I would say the losing probably doesn’t fall on Thomas’ shoulders.

How would Thomas fit in on the Illinois roster?

I love the way Thomas is built. The kid has a good body for only entering his junior year in high school. I think he will continue to grow into his body too. This only means he is going to get stronger and be a more stable No. 5 in the future.

If Thomas comes to Illinois, he would have a great chance to snag the No. 5 starting job in the future. We are by no means set at the No. 5, especially with no one to fill in for Kofi Cockburn once he officially leaves the program.

I see Thomas come in from day one and competing for the starting job at the No. 5. While he might not get the job immediately, he will get playing time. This kid has the potential to do some great things at the college level.