Illinois Basketball: Illini in early on 2023 in-state forward Donaven Younger

It is never too early to start recruiting a player at the high school level, and that is the mindset the Illinois basketball program took on Thursday.

The head coach of the Bolingbrook Raiders, Robert Brost, on Thursday announced that his player, Donaven Younger had picked up a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois. This has to be an exciting offer considering it shows how good Younger could end up being if he is getting offers this early.

Younger is a 6-foot-8 power forward from Bolingbrook High School and resides in Bolingbrook, Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked by the main recruiting sites yet, but MaxPreps has him as the No. 549 player in the entire nation and the No. 26 player in the state of Illinois. These rankings include every player from every class.

Edit: Prep Hoops has Younger as the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois too.

I believe this is the first scholarship offer for the talented big man. That doesn’t surprise me, though, considering Younger is in the class of 2023, so he is only entering his sophomore year in high school. But, if you watch this kid play, you will see why he is getting the offer from Illinois so early.

Edit: Younger has multiple scholarship offers including the likes of Drake, Western Illinois and Chicago State, among others.

I will go on record and say it now, Illinois just offered a top 15 player in the class of 2023. Younger has all of the tools now to come out in the class of 2021. I think the sky is the limit for him and his game.

The fact Younger is 6-foot-8 and only a sophomore is incredible. I wouldn’t be shocked if he finishes his high school career around 7-foot. His shooting touch from inside of 12 feet is something to marvel at on the court. Younger has a buttery feel to his game.

I could see Younger developing an outside shot in the next couple of years. He probably has the ability to make deep shots now, but he is 6-foot-8 in high school, so he can score at will in the paint. Don’t be surprised if this kid ends up being one of the most dynamic players coming out of the class of 2023.

Illinois is smart getting in early on Younger. He is an in-state kid who will only continue to get more popular. Hopefully, we can continue winning and being a solid destination for top state of Illinois recruits.