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Illinois Basketball: Illini target RJ Melendez set to make decision

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: General view of Illinois Fighting Illini basketballs seen before the game against the IUPUI Jaguars at State Farm Center on December 6, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: General view of Illinois Fighting Illini basketballs seen before the game against the IUPUI Jaguars at State Farm Center on December 6, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Illinois basketball needs to add to their class of 2021, and it looks like they may be in line for one of the best players still left on the board.

On Sunday night, Tipton Edits announced that 2021 top 100 recruit RJ Melendez will be announcing his decision on where he will be attending college on Monday. No time was given, but this is pretty big news for the Illini considering Derek Piper of 247Sports has Illinois as his Crystal Ball Prediction for Melendez.

It is exciting to see the Illini recruiting train starting to roll again. Melendez would be a huge addition on paper. He is a 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward from Central Pointe Christian High School and resides in Kissimmee, Florida. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 97 player in the class of 2021. He is also the No. 21 small forward in the nation.


Honestly, it is hard to really judge who will be in the running when Melendez does make his final decision. There haven’t been any in-person visits, so the official visit tally isn’t there. In an interview with Kedric Prince back in December, Illinois, along with Florida, Oklahoma State, UCF, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Virginia Tech and South Florida, were all recruiting the talented wing hard.

What would Melendez bring to the Illinois basketball program?

First off, Melendez has great athletic ability. He can get the rim whether that is via the dunk or just to score around the basket. But this kid is more than just an athletic freak.

I love Melendez’s ability to do everything on the court. He can step back and hit a jumper when needed. He isn’t bad around the three-point arc. And I think this kid has a high upside on the defensive end because of his length.

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If Melendez could couple a great defensive prowess with his amazing scoring ability, then he could end up be being one of the best players in whatever conference he ends up playing in at the college level. Hopefully, Illinois can end up landing the star from Florida.

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