Illinois Basketball: Illini show interest in 2022 big man Malique Ewin

The Illinois basketball program continues to build for the future, offering Atlanta native Malique Ewin from the 2022 class.

Illinois will look to maintain sustained success in the years to come, and with that brings about finding the next great center of the future. In what looks to be a busy offseason for the Big Ten Tournament champions, the Orange and Blue offered Georgia’s Malique Ewin, who is a member of the 2022 class.

Ewin is currently rated as a four-star recruit and has quickly risen up the Georgia high school basketball recruiting scene. At 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, Ewin plays for Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia, and is the state’s No. 3 player and the No. 13 best center in the nation.

The Illini offered Ewin on May 13, taking to Twitter to officially unveil the news. In addition to Illinois, Ewin has interests from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Xavier, to name a few.

What does Malique Ewin bring to Illinois basketball?

Ewin’s squad, the Berkmar Patriots, enjoyed great success during the 2020-2021 season. The Patriots finished with the best record in the Region 7 conference at 11-1 and finished 25-6 overall. Notable victories included an 89-59 win against Brookwood and a 73-60 win against Cherokee. The team also had an impressive three-game stretch, as it conquered victories against Denmark, East Coweta, and Wheeler during Christmas break.

The Patriots would eventually get on a hot streak entering postseason play, as it rattled off eight-straight. The team would then win its first three postseason games against Lambert, Cherokee, and Tift County before falling to Milton 52-47 on March 13.

An Ewin signing would do wonders for Illinois. Not only is the program getting an electrifying prospect, but someone who has all of the intangibles to make plays in big-time games for years to come.

Check out his Tournament of Champions first-half mixtape against East Coweta.