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Illinois Basketball: Early look at the top five Illini recruiting targets for 2022

By Rees Woodcock

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with players in a timeout during a Big Ten Tournament game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 13, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with players in a timeout during a Big Ten Tournament game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 13, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO – MARCH 14: The Illinois Fighting Illini cheer team runs around the court against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during a first round game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 14, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Minnesota 51-49. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

4. Zion Cruz

After listing three big-time in-state recruits that I want Brad Underwood and the Illini to land, I want to list a couple of players who I would love on the team and we might have a long-distance shot with hin 2022. The first player is Zion Cruz.

Cruz is a 6-foot-5, 175-pound shooting guard from Oak Hill Academy and resides in Jersey City, New Jersey. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 19 player in the class of 2022 and the No. 3 shooting guard in the nation. He is also the best player to come out of the state of New Jersey.

Some people might be shocked that I have Cruz on this list, but while it is a longshot to land him, Illinois is putting resources into him. The Illini offered Cruz a scholarship back on August 13. It is being reported by multiple people that Illinois is one of the teams that contacts Cruz often. This means he is a top target.

Let’s also not forget about the Oak Hill Academy tie too. This is the prestigious program Kofi Cockburn finished his high school career playing for. Maybe that tie will help the Illini gain some ground with a player like Cruz.

There is a lot to love about Cruz’s game, which is probably why he is ranked inside the top 20 for the class of 2022. The pop ability of Cruz is impressive. He has a nice quick release on his shot. He has the aggression to take the ball in the lane. You can tell he has a fire for beating the opponent. Overall, his game reminds me of Russell Westbrook.

If I had to bet, Illinois probably won’t land Cruz, but I have seen weirder things happen. We are putting a lot of time into this kid. Hopefully, we can see those resources pay off and we can have another five-star on the roster.

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