Illinois Basketball: Jayden Epps makes 2022 Iverson Classic roster

An Illinois basketball signee is getting some praise after being selected to a high school all-star team.

There are quite a few high school all-star games that feature the best talent from around the country. Most all-star games include the same group of kids because they are the elite of the elite at the high school level.

On Monday afternoon, Illini signee Jayden Epps was chosen for one of those all-star games. According to Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated, Epps was selected for the 2022 Iverson Classic. He is a member of Team Loyalty that also features elite players like Amari Bailey (UCLA) and MJ Rice (Kansas).

Illinois basketball signee Jayden Epps is highly regarded by Sports Illustrated.

The Illinois recruiting class for 2022 has three players who are already signed up and ready to hit the court. All three are ranked highly and are the best players in the state of Ohio, North Carolina, and Illinois.

Epps is in that mix. He is coming out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and while some recruiting sites have him not in the top 50, Sports Illustrated says otherwise.

In the updated SI99 for the 2022 class, Epps checks in as the No. 46 player in the country. His national standing is different in just about every recruiting ranking, and that is why Epps isn’t making every high school all-star game.

You don’t have to scroll down much further to find another Illinois signee. Ty Rodgers, considered to be the best player in the state of Illinois, is ranked as the No. 51 player in the SI99 rankings.

The only player not listed in the SI99 rankings is Sencire Harris, who is regarded as the best player coming out of Ohio. Some national rankings have Harris in the top 100, but in this case, the SI99 has him on the outside looking in.

I am extremely happy for Epps to get more national notoriety. The kid has an amazing game and is going to be sensational for the Orange and Blue.