Illinois Basketball: Top 5 underrated Illini recruits of the past decade

2 of 6

CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 02: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) puts his arms up to pump up the crowd during the college basketball game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on December 2, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Giorgi Bezhanishvili

The No. 5 player on this list is someone who has given everything to the Illinois basketball program. That someone is Giorgi Bezhanishvili.

Giorgi was a 6-foot-9, 230-pound power forward coming out of St. Patrick High School and residing in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 373 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 63 power forward in the nation. He was also the No. 13 player in the state of New Jersey.

When I see someone who is rated sub-200, let alone No. 373, I think to myself that they won’t be a big-time contributor. Usually, the players who are ranked that low tend to receive reserve minutes in a blowout game. That isn’t the case with Giorgi, though.

Giorgi came in as a freshman and lit the world on fire. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest in that first season. While the team wasn’t good, there were flashes of brilliance from the young big man.

Last season, Giorgi’s numbers took a dip because Illinois got deeper. But he still managed to put up 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Those numbers are still better than someone ranked No. 373 in his class.

If I had to guess, I would say Giorgi is more in the range of No. 125 and No. 150 nationally. This kid has talent and heart. He has intangibles you can’t teach. I am glad he is on the Illini.

Home/Illinois Basketball