Illinois Basketball: Illini targeting 2023 Oklahoma sharpshooter

The Illinois basketball coaching staff is looking to build strong foundations with some of the best recruits in the nation.

While they continue their journey to have one of the best classes in 2022, the Illini coaching staff is also focusing some of their attention on the 2023 class. Just a few days ago, Brad Underwood was watching a few local recruits during their AAU tournament. During that same time, the program also managed to offer Parker Friedrichsen a scholarship.

Friedrichsen is a 6-foot-3, 165-pound shooting guard from Bixby High School and resides in Bixby, Oklahoma. He isn’t rated or ranked by 247Sports just yet, but the full rankings have not been released. Judging by the fact he has roughly 17 scholarship offers, I would say Friedrichsen is somewhere in the ballpark of the top 125 in the nation.

What would Friedrichsen bring to the Illinois basketball program in 2023?

When it comes to Friedrichsen’s game, I think it is pretty simple. The kid can shoot a team out of the building every game he steps on the court. His shot is what really stands out to me the most, as he can knock down a bucket from anywhere on the court.

I love that Friedrichsen doesn’t just chuck up the ball every time he gets it too. He is smart with the ball and will dish it off if the shot isn’t right or there is a better option in the paint. He is able to drive the ball and score in the lane as well. His ability to shoot off-balance is a huge bonus to his game.

This is a solid offer by the Illini. We could always use more scoring. I could see Friedrichsen coming into the program and being in a reserve role for the first couple of years. By his junior year, I see him potentially being a starter for this team. This is a realistic path for the Oklahoma star.