The Illinois basketball coaching staff continues to focus on building for the future.
Not only does Brad Underwood and his staff have the Illini in a great position to go dancing once again in March, but they are also strengthening their recruiting position for future classes.
The 2022 class is already pledged and signed for next season. This class is inside the top 20 and has the job of replacing some of the familiar faces on the team in 2022. Illinois hasn’t secured a commitment just yet for the class of 2023, but there are some big names eyeing the program, so I have no doubt this class will fill quickly.
And then we get to the class of 2024. The Illini already snagged future top 50 talent, Morez Johnson, out of St. Rita in Chicago. This kid is going to be something special, but Johnson isn’t the only player Illinois has their eyes set on for the future.
This past Wednesday, the Illini extended an offer to Jason Asemota. He is a 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward from Hillcrest Prep and resides in Phoenix, Arizona. He isn’t rated or ranked just yet because the full class of 2024 rankings haven’t been released, but you can tell this kid has some special talent.
Blessed to receive an offer from Illinois 🧡 pic.twitter.com/2OYel4gROR
— Jason Asemota (@jasonxasemota) December 22, 2021
Asemota is going to be a tough recruit for the Illinois basketball team to land.
While Asemota isn’t rated or ranked, he does have a ton of recruiting attention. He has roughly 12 scholarship offers on the table already, and some of the bigger programs include Florida, Auburn, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others.
There is no question why all of these programs have already offered Asemota a scholarship. The kid is going to end up being in the top 100 nationally when the full 2024 rankings are released
Athletically, Asemota is going to be difficult to stop. He has a great big body, but he also has control over that body. He knows how to use it to get position and to get to the basket.
I think Asemota is extremely raw, though. I don’t think we have even come close to tapping into his full potential. Once he gets to the college ranks, he can develop his game into an even bigger threat on both sides of the court.
This is a great offer by Illinois. With Underwood bringing in a ton of shooters, Asemota would have space in the paint to do what he does best and get to the hoop.