Illinois Basketball: Illini offer 2023 guard Mike Williams

The Illinois basketball program offered a prospect in 2023’s Mike Williams.

The Illini are already looking ahead to a new chapter in its storied history. Building toward the future, recruiting the 2022 and 2023 classes is becoming a top priority outside of the current roster.

Illinois is already hard at work, as they offered 2023 guard Mike Williams on Monday, according to a tweet from Rivals’ Russ Wood.

Williams, a 6-foot-3 guard, plays for Team Thrill UAA and attends Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

In a Prep Hoops report interview from 2019, Williams broke down the difference between middle and high school basketball from a pace standpoint.

"“It’s much more intense than eighth grade,” Williams said, “It’s just higher level basketball. There’s much more competition and players are much more stronger, faster and have better basketball IQ.”"

As for an on-court performance, the Cardinals squad saw themselves complete a shortened season in which they went 5-9 overall. Its best stretch came during a three-game winning streak against Gerstell, St. Vincent Pallotti, and McDonogh School in February. The team wound up dropping its final seven games to close the season.

What attributes does Illinois basketball see in Mike Williams?

Williams’ biggest strength is his athletic ability. He does a solid job of attacking the rim and making his presence known on the defensive glass. Brad Underwood likes hard-nosed defenders who dive for loose balls, and Williams would fit that description.

As his recruitment gains more traction, expect a plethora of looks to come his way in the years ahead. As of this writing, Williams still has two more seasons of high school basketball left, and in due time, improvements are surely a possibility.

Whether or not he picks Illinois remains to be seen, but only time will tell.