Illinois Basketball: Interview with Illini target Wesley Cardet Jr.

The Writing Illini had the opportunity to catch up with an extremely talented recruit on Tuesday.  Check out what the borderline five-star prospect had to say about his game and his mindset regarding the Illinois basketball team.

Wesley Cardet Jr., a 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward, is one of the most crucial remaining undeclared Illini targets for the class of 2021.  He is rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 96 overall player in the nation. Cardet is also the No. 14 player in the state of Florida.

The four-star prospect is finishing up his senior season at West Oaks Academy – a basketball powerhouse located in Orlando, Florida. I had the opportunity to interview the highly touted recruit on Tuesday.

Q1: How is your senior season at West Oaks Academy going?

Cardet: “It’s going great.  I’m getting what I came here for.  The exposure is unbelievable and I get a chance to play with high major guys.  I also play the position I’m going to play in college.”

Q2: What factors do you take into consideration when ultimately deciding on a school?

Cardet: “The position they see me playing, if I am able to be an immediate impact player, if I can trust the coach.”

Q3: Are you still in communication with the Illini coaches?

Cardet: “The coaches still contact me, but my dad mostly.”

Q4: Is there anything about Illinois that stands out over other schools that are recruiting you?

Cardet: “The freedom the guards have.  Also, the system is good.  They are top-20 in points per game with 81 PPG.”

Q5: Whatever school you eventually decide to attend, what do you want the fanbase to know about you as a player? What are you going to bring to the table?

Cardet: “Whatever school I attend, the fanbase will be getting a worker and a competitor.”

A commitment from the West Oaks forward would be crucial – especially after missing out on many highly-prioritized 2021 prospects.  The Orange and Blue would be landing their second four-star commitment for the class of 2021, as Cardet would be joining lone 2021 commit, Luke Goode.

During the interview, Cardet said he wanted to be an immediate impact player.  Given the Illini’s current situation, this is absolutely possible.

Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu will likely be declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft following this season. Illinois may also lose guards Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams, given that they are seniors. Losing these players would leave a major void for Cardet to fill.

Cardet would undoubtedly get a ton of playing time as a freshman if he committed to play for the Illini.  He could very well make his case to crack the starting lineup considering his tremendous level of talent.