Illinois Basketball: 2022’s Ramel Lloyd Jr. releases top eight
By Zain Bando
Top-60 2022 small forward, Ramel Lloyd Jr., shared his top eight schools across social media on Tuesday and kept the Illinois basketball team involved.
Lloyd Jr. is inching closer to making his final decision as to where he will begin his college basketball career. Lloyd Jr., a four-star small forward from Woodland Hills, California, released his top eight schools on Twitter Tuesday night with the Illini making the final cut.
Lloyd Jr. has been a primary target for the Orange and Blue since his recruiting took off in June. The highly-touted 2022 prospect also has interest from Nebraska, Oregon, Rutgers, Baylor, Washington, Arkansas, and Arizona. The recent Dream Christian Academy transfer gave a comprehensive breakdown as to why those were the eight schools he chose to pick from.
Brad Underwood’s culture impressed Lloyd Jr. He also liked how the program wants to keep building for the future, regardless of how the 2020-2021 season may shake out.
"“They’re another school in the Big Ten, Lloyd Jr. told 247 Sports when speaking about Illinois. “I had a really good zoom call with them and my family. They preached how hard they work, how they are on the up and coming in the country, and how they want to keep building on what they have now. I also have a great relationship with coach Antigua and coach Underwood. They really preach Ayo Dosunmu a lot because they showed me how they developed him when he first got there and how I can fit the system as a big guard.”"
Lloyd Jr. has been part of the high school basketball scene for quite some time, as evident by a highlight video from Fresh Focus Sports in April. The video also gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his day-to-day life and overall game. According to the description, he averaged 26 points and 8 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
What does it mean if Ramel Lloyd Jr. picks Illinois?
Illinois would maintain its status as one of the nation’s premier teams and continue to stay in contention for Big Ten titles on a yearly basis. Lloyd Jr. is a player who has proven that he can do it all, regardless of adapting to new environments during his high school career.
Let’s see if the Illini can win out and snag a priority 2022 recruit in a tight race against some of the best teams in the country.