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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini recruiting targets for 2023 after missing on Owen Freeman

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: General view of Illinois Fighting Illini basketballs seen before the game against the IUPUI Jaguars at State Farm Center on December 6, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - DECEMBER 06: General view of Illinois Fighting Illini basketballs seen before the game against the IUPUI Jaguars at State Farm Center on December 6, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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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 *** /

Illinois basketball missed out on one of their top targets for 2023 on Monday afternoon.

In-state big man Owen Freeman was someone to keep an eye on for the Illini in 2023. Standing at 6-foot-10, 220-pounds, Freeman would have been a nice solution for the post-Kofi Cockburn era. But the Bradley, Illinois forward had other plans.

On Monday, Freeman decided to end his recruitment and commit to Iowa. The timing of the commitment came as a bit of a surprise as he still has two seasons of high school basketball to complete. But it is now time to look at what is left for the Illini in 2023.

Here are the top five recruiting targets for the Illinois basketball class of 2023 after missing on Owen Freeman.

1. JJ Taylor

It is quite impressive how many talented recruits are coming out of the 2023 class. The top target for the Illini right now is in-state product, JJ Taylor.

Taylor is a 6-foot-8, 185-pound small forward from Kenwood Academy and resides in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 7 player in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 2 small forward in the nation and the best player coming out of Illinois.

Illinois has been recruiting Taylor for quite some time. He originally played for Morgan Park High School, which was the home of Ayo Dosunmu, among others. Taylor then transferred out to Kenwood in 2020. He also plays for the Mac Irvin Fire on the AAU circuit.

There are already strong connections with Taylor via the AAU circuit and the Chicago area recruiting. But the bond is way stronger than just good rapport with Taylor’s coaching staff. The star forward was down to visit Illinois this past weekend. In an article by Derek Piper of 247Sports, Taylor said Illinois was his top option right now.

The fact that Illinois is No. 1 on Taylor’s list right now is big for the program. Adding him would keep the Illini in the running for a national title for years to come. It would also be the first time the Illini have landed a five-star recruit in the 247Sports era of rankings. There is a lot at stake with the Taylor recruitment.

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