Illinois Basketball: Illini have multiple targets in ESPN Top 60 for 2024

While the Illinois basketball program is still building on the 2023 class, the class of 2024 looks to be pretty special.

As of right now, the Illini have two players committed for the 2024 class. ZZ Clark is going to be our point guard when 2024-25 rolls around. He isn’t rated or ranked by any recruiting sites just yet, but he will be a top 100 player when it is all said and done.

Morez Johnson is the other top commit for 2024. He is a great in-state recruit who continues to stay strong in the recruiting rankings. In fact, ESPN just updated their top 60 recruits for the class of 2024, and Johnson checks in as the No. 52 player in the country.

In addition to the 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward being the No. 52 player in the class of 2024, he is also a four-star recruit who is the No. 4 power forward in the nation and the No. 2 player coming out of the state of Illinois.

What other Illinois basketball targets are in the ESPN Top 60 for 2024?

The obvious big-time target is James Brown. He is a teammate of Johnson’s up at St. Rita High School and they both played together for the Meanstreets on the AAU circuit.

Brown is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 41 player in the class of 2024. He is the No. 8 center in the country and the best player coming out of the state of Illinois. The one-two punch of Johnson and Brown in the paint for the Illini would be unstoppable.

Another name that might emerge for the Illini in the coming weeks or months is Isaiah Elohim. Illinois just offered Elohim a scholarship days ago, but he doesn’t have too much recruiting attention as of right now.

Elohim is a five-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 14 player in the class of 2024. ESPN also has him as the No. 5 small forward in the nation and the best player coming out of California.

It honestly wouldn’t shock me to see Illinois become a serious threat to land Elohim. We have been able to recruit decently well on the west coast, so if we can make some inroads on this talented small forward, who knows what could happen?

Illinois is doing some impressive work for the 2024 class. We have a great foundation already built, and hopefully, we can add a few more big pieces to complete a top-five class.