Illinois Basketball: Illini coaching staff pushing hard for the future

The Illinois basketball coaching staff has assembled the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for the class of 2024, however, their recent offers show they are still prioritizing the future.

Illini head coach Brad Underwood and staff hit the recruiting trail hard this week – extending multiple offers to young talented recruits who could absolutely contribute to the current upward trend of this program.

The staff attempted to strengthen the New York-to-Illinois pipeline with their two most recent offers.  Christ The King Regional High School (Middle Village, NY) teammates Qin Pang and Dwayne Pierce both announced this week that they received offers from the University of Illinois.

https://twitter.com/iamdwaynepierce/status/1541092643027009536?s=20&t=fa0xM2VpzCkfdw1knNFtuA

https://twitter.com/QinPang13/status/1540883775672000516?s=20&t=fa0xM2VpzCkfdw1knNFtuA

Dwayne Pierce

Pierce is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound small forward who has received 13 other offers, excluding the Illini.  These schools include Oregon, LSU, Nebraska, Rutgers, and others.

Although not yet rated by recruiting sites, the New York native is ranked by Rivals as the No. 60 player in the nation for the 2024 class.

Pierce possesses a versatile set of skills for a shooting guard that will allow college coaches to use him in a variety of ways.  His strength and athleticism allow him to bully opponents down low.  Pierce uses his athleticism to easily make moves to the rim, making for an easy finish under the basket – whether that be with a ferocious jam or an acrobatic finish.  Pierce is also capable of bodying his opponents down low – both offensively and defensively.

If able to land the New York product, Underwood would be able to use Pierce anywhere from the No. 2 to the No. 4 positions.

Qin Pang

There is a reason 2024 PF Pang has accumulated nine offers from schools, such as Oregon, St. John’s, and Rhode Island, among others; He is a freak of nature.

A rare breed for his size, Pang stands at 6-foot-9, 230-pounds, and is a three-level scorer who can shoot the three-ball and acrobatically maneuver his way to the bucket.

Pang also possesses speed that allows him to excel in transition scoring.  With a roster that will potentially be filled with many talented guards – R.J. Melendez, Luke Goode, Jayden Epps, Skyy, and ZZ Clark – all that speed and athleticism would make for a nightmare for opposing teams.

With a commitment, Underwood and staff would be gifted a player who has the potential to be an all-around premier player in the Big Ten, or any power-five conference.

Illinois basketball offered the son of an Illini legend who dominated Assembly Hall.

Phoenix Gill

The last name may sound quite familiar to most Illini fans.  This is because Phoenix is the son of Flyin’ Illini legend and 15-year NBA player Kendall Gill.

Gill announced to Twitter on Monday that his father’s Alma Mater extended him an offer.

Gill is a 6-foot-2 guard currently attending St. Ignatius High School in Chicago, Illinois.  As the lone freshman on the team, Gill was able to help lead the Wolfpack to a 24-13 record and a third-place finish in the 3A class.

Gill has been equipped with the clutch gene since a very young age – hitting a last-second game-winning shot at just seven years old.

The Illini are in on the 2025 prospect’s recruitment very early, given they are Gill’s first offer.