Illinois Basketball: Big man Dom Campbell is the latest target for the Illini

Illinois basketball is smack dab in the middle of recruiting a class of 2022 that will be the foundation for the program for years to come.

So far, only Reggie Bass has committed to the program. He checks in as a three-star and the No. 220 player in the class. But more players are sure to funnel in, as the Illini are starting to be looked at as a legit contender in the college basketball world once again.

Brad Underwood continues to be hard at work trying to secure more commitments for 2022. One of the most recent scholarship offers that the Illinois coaching staff has extended is to big man, Dom Campbell.

Campbell is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound center from Phillips Exeter Academy and resides in Exeter, New Hampshire. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 22 center in the nation. He is also the No. 4 player coming out of the state of New Hampshire.

Dom lives his recruiting life a quarter-mile at a time despite his recruitment starting to really heat up. For only being a three-star recruit, Campbell already has roughly 22 scholarship offers. Some of the other big-time programs Illinois joined in offering the New Hampshire product include the likes of Minnesota, Boston College, Notre Dame and Providence, to name a few.

Depth at the No. 5 is a clear priority for the Illinois basketball coaching staff.

Kofi Cockburn has made it clear that he isn’t coming back to Champaign. That leaves the No. 5 spot in a shaky position. As of right now, in my last projected lineup, I have Omar Payne as the lead man in this role.

The upside to Payne is that he has two years left to play at the college level and he is a former four-star recruit, so there is potential there. The downside to Payne is that he has been playing at a high-level DI program in Florida and wasn’t able to produce.

Needless to say, Payne is the best option we have at the No. 5 right now and that doesn’t create a ton of stability just yet. That could change, but as of right now, stability is low. So, Underwood and his coaching staff are continuing to look for a solid No. 5 for the future. That is where Campbell comes into play.

I would love for Illinois to snag a player like Campbell. This kid has the size to bully ball his way in the paint. He has good touch with the basketball as well. When I think of a comparison for Campbell, the first player that came to mind was Caleb Swanigan. They both have similar games in my eyes, but Campbell might have better touch.

Let’s see if the Illinois coaching staff can make up some lost ground with Campbell. Whoever ends up landing him is going to get a good big man who can dominate the paint.