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Illinois Basketball: Jayden Epps gives Illini a dangerous backcourt in 2022

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN , IL - NOVEMBER 13: The Big 10 logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Illinois Fighting Illini at the State Farm Center on November 13, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
CHAMPAIGN , IL - NOVEMBER 13: The Big 10 logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Illinois Fighting Illini at the State Farm Center on November 13, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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Another big piece has been added to the Illinois basketball family on Tuesday afternoon.

Coming into Tuesday, the Illini had built some solid recruiting momentum. They secured a commitment from Reggie Bass back in March. Sencire Harris then pledged his commitment just about two weeks ago on July 3. And now Illinois has added Jayden Epps to the mix.

Epps took to Twitter to announce his commitment the Orange and Blue. He posted the short one minute and eight second video on his Twitter page. This is a huge commitment for the Illini and one that continues the great recruiting success of Brad Underwood.


The Illini securing a commitment from Epps also means we have another top 100 recruit onboard. Epps is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound combo guard from King’s Fork High School and resides in Suffolk, Virginia. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 61 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 13 combo guard in the nation and the best player coming out of Virginia.

Illinois basketball continues their pipeline building in unfamiliar territory.

I love what Underwood and his new coaching staff have done so far for the 2021 and 2022 classes. We are plucking top recruits from areas of the country that haven’t been good to us. Epps is just the latest in the line of new recruiting pipeline being built.

Epps now joins an Illinois program that was in need of more guard help, especially at the No. 1 guard spot. This is where I could see Epps coming in and making an immediate impact.

For the next two seasons, Andre Curbelo is going to be the starting point guard for the Illini. I see Epps coming in and playing a year behind Curbelo, but he would still get somewhere in the ballpark of 15-20 minutes per game at various positions.

After Curbelo leaves at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, then Epps would take over at the No. 1 guard spot. That is how I see his career playing out over the next couple of years.

Next. Illini commit Sencire Harris is a special talent. dark

Everything Epps does on the court should excite Illini fans. He has great court vision and is a menace with the ball. Epps makes the right play almost every time whether that be driving to the hoop or finding the open man. He is an all-around great player. This is a great get for the Orange and Blue.

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