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Illinois Basketball: Illini heavily interested in 2022 5-star Jazian Gortman

ByZain Bando|
TULSA, OK - MARCH 20: A view of the ball during the third round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
TULSA, OK - MARCH 20: A view of the ball during the third round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Illinois basketball program is looking for the best of the best, as the Orange and Blue have taken a valued interest in 2022’s Jazian Gortman.

The Illini continue to build for the future, and with this task comes landing the best players possible in order to lay the groundwork for a successful future. One of those recruits that Illinois is targeting is a 2022 five-star recruit named Jazian Gortman.

Gortman hails from Columbia, South Carolina, and is the No. 2 player in the state while sporting the No. 5 ranking at the point guard position. Illinois came in with an offer to the 6-foot-2, 175-pound rising star on Friday morning. This isn’t the first offer for Gortman, though, as he has looks from South Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Florida State, and Maryland, to name a few.

According to Tipton Edits, a few new schools have joined the conversation, including Illinois.

Gortman plays for Keenan High School, and the team is coming off a successful 2020-21 season that saw the Raiders finish 13-6 overall with a 7-1 record in conference play. This great play was good enough for a first-place finish in AAA Region 4.

The Raiders wound up losing its third-round playoff game on February 27 to Seneca, 82-75. It was the team’s first defeat since a January 7 loss to York Prep, 67-52.

Despite a sudden ending to a season that saw the Raiders win 16 of its last 17 games, there is potential for the program to make an even deeper run this upcoming winter. As for Gortman, he had a stellar season that saw him put up 28 points against Mikey Williams, as the Raiders fell just short of knocking off the No. 5 player in the nation for the 2023 class.

What would Jazian Gortman bring to Illinois basketball?

It’s safe to say that Brad Underwood can land big-time players, and the man they call “Jay Gort” would fit that description. Not only can he make big-time shots, but he can also give it everything he has and give his team the best chance to win every night.

Landing Gortman is a huge priority for Illinois, as his recruitment will be one to watch over the next year.

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