Illinois Basketball: Illini receive commitment from Brandon Lieb

The Illinois basketball team added some length to the class of 2020 on Thursday morning.

Brandon Lieb announced via his Twitter page that he has committed to the University of Illinois. This is a solid get for the Illini because of the length that Lieb brings to the table.

Lieb is a 6-foot-11, 205-pound center from Deerfield High School and resides in Deerfield, Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked by the recruiting sites, but there are plenty of programs eyeing this kid. I believe he has just been flying under the radar.

Illinois offered Lieb back on June 23 and, since then, his recruitment really took off. He had offers from teams like Oklahoma State, Utah and DePaul, just to name a few. But Illinois was able to convince this kid to come to Champaign.

When Illinois landed Kofi Cockburn last season, he was a big man who could move up and down the court. He also possessed some touch around the rim. The athletic ability and touch is what you are getting with Lieb.

I know some of you might be thinking Lieb is a young version of Nick Smith, who donned the Orange and Blue back in the early 2000s, but I don’t think that is the case at all. Lieb plays way more physical than a 205-pound player. He can also shoot the ball well. This kid is deadly within 10 feet of the basket.

This is an under the radar get for the Illinois basketball team. We needed someone who could come in and play the No. 5 spot early on in his career. I think Lieb can provide that. Will there be some growing pains through the process? Sure, but I think this kid has the chance to be a solid starter down the road for this program.