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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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TULSA, OK – MARCH 20: A view of the ball during the third round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2. Kylan Boswell

The point guard of the future for the Illinois basketball program is also in the class of 2023. That point guard is Kylan Boswell. He is the replacement for when Andre Curbelo departs the team.

Boswell is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound point guard from Compass Prep and resides in Chandler, Arizona. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 21 player in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 7 point guard in the nation and the best player in the state of Arizona.

Every program in the nation wants a player like Boswell. They are all coming after him for his commitment. Illinois is in the group of teams that might actually have a chance at landing him as well.

Illinois is going to be able to provide plenty of playing time for Boswell. There is a solid chance Curbelo won’t be with the program when the 2023-24 season rolls around, so Boswell will have the starting job from day one. If that isn’t the case, he will still get 20-25 minutes off the bench and then be thrust into the starting role as a sophomore.

The big recruiting element Illinois has going for them is the fact Boswell grew up in Champaign. He only recently moved out west for his high school basketball. But this kid was raised in Illinois, and that is a recruiting chip the Illini can put on the table. Bring the kid back home.

Overall, Boswell and Taylor would make for an amazing one-two punch. It won’t be easy, but these two could give this program their first national title.

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