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Illinois Basketball: Brad Underwood visiting 2023 in-state big man

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois basketball coaching staff knows how much the class of 2023 means to the future of the program.

A great part about the Illini coaching staff since Brad Underwood took over is the fact, we have been able to pull in solid in-state recruits. The previous staff couldn’t snag the great in-state talent. For 2023, one of the players I would love Illinois to end up landing is big man, Owen Freeman.

Freeman is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward from Bradley-Bourbonnais High School and resides in Bradley, Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked by 247Sports, but Rivals has him as a center and as a three-star recruit.

At the end of the day, the stars don’t always matter when it comes to recruiting. Freeman is a three-star, but the kid has a wide range of programs offering him a scholarship. In addition to Illinois already offering him, teams like Michigan State, Indiana, and Marquette are also in the hunt.

Illinois basketball is putting resources into landing Freeman.

Freeman is a player who could end up being a starting Big Ten big man and tearing Illinois apart if we can’t land him. Someone like Iowa or Michigan State will have him starting against the Illini. I don’t want that and neither does the Illinois coaching staff.


On Wednesday, it was reported by Midwest Prospect Academy that Underwood was coming to do a visit with Freeman on Wednesday night. This is big news considering Illinois is looking for a future No. 5 after Kofi Cockburn, and Freeman has the size and ability to fill that void.

It is pretty tough to gauge who is in the lead for Freeman, but whoever lands the kid is getting one solid basketball player.

The athletic ability Freeman brings to the court is unique for his size. He moves really well at all levels, and he can hit shots from anywhere on the court.

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You don’t come across a big man who can move as well as Freeman very often. Honestly, he reminds me a lot of someone like Meyers Leonard. The tremendous athletic ability is what really draws me to this kid. He isn’t just going to be a good player at the next level, I think he could be elite.

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