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Illinois Basketball: Dalen Davis receives offer from the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Orange Crush student section cheers during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Orange Crush student section cheers during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Illinois basketball coaches need to continue building, and that is what they had in mind in a recent wave of scholarship offers.

Recruiting isn’t just about the near future. Coaches build relationships with players from various classes all over the country. One of the newest targets for Brad Underwood and the Illini is Dalen Davis.

Davis is a 5-foot-11 guard from Whitney Young High School and resides in Chicago, Illinois. He isn’t popping up on the national recruiting sites just yet, I assume because he is from the class of 2023. But don’t let that distract you from how important this offer is from the Illini.

The recruiting attention has already started to heat up for the talented guard. Davis had already received an offer from DePaul and Western Illinois back in mid-2020. This offer by the Illini is next-level for the big-time Chicago recruit, though. It wouldn’t shock me to see more offers soon to arrive just purely based on how talented Davis is on the court.

It is fun to watch what Davis can do with the ball. This kid isn’t someone who is stepping on the court to get his. He is trying to make others around him better, and that is important at any level of basketball. Obviously, the passing ability is the first thing that jumps off the page.

Davis can maneuver all over the court to find the right holes in the defense. When he drives down the lane, he has the ability to find the open man when the double team collapses on him. On top of the great vision, Davis has great handles as well.

Overall, his game reminds me a lot of Jamal Crawford. He has the confidence of a killer and the basketball IQ of someone who has studied the game for years. That is why it wouldn’t shock me to see Davis’ recruitment absolutely blow up over the next year or so.

Next. Best-case Illini lineup after missing on David Jones. dark

Illinois getting in early on Davis is a great move. We need to gain some market share over the Chicago area, especially with the changes at Morgan Park High School and with the Mac Irvin Fire. Starting with Whitney Young would be a great place.

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