Illinois Basketball: Illini showing interest in 2024’s Drew McKenna

2024 shooting guard, Drew McKenna, has been offered by 16 programs, including the Illinois basketball program.

McKenna, a 6-foot-8 shooting guard, released a list of his 16 offers on August 25, which included the Illini. The four-star wing hails from Glenelg County High School in Maryland and also plays for Team Melo of the EYBL.

McKenna has also received a lot of interest from several of the country’s most elite programs, including Virginia Tech, Xavier, and Georgetown, to name a few. In terms of the Big Ten, McKenna’s additional offers come from Maryland and Rutgers.

https://twitter.com/drewmcknna/status/1563002956232146945?s=21&t=3aX57NTs4p9mF7hLpJfWQw

According to college basketball insider Andrew Slater, McKenna visited Georgetown on August 30 and has a scheduled visit with Virginia Tech on September 10. In addition, per Travis Graf of Rivals and Made Hoops, McKenna’s plans for an unofficial visit to Nebraska are “in the works.”

The Illini are already off to an excellent start with its 2024 class, as ZZ Clark and Morez Johnson Jr. will officially join the program after the departures of Terrance Shannon Jr., Matthew Mayer, and likely Coleman Hawkins, among others.

McKenna’s size and height will certainly add value to a program that has seen the likes of Kofi Cockburn, Da’Monte Williams, and Trent Frazier leave their mark in the Orange and Blue and be remembered amongst the Illini fanbase.

How has Illinois basketball target Drew McKenna evolved his game?

McKenna has quietly made a name for himself as one of the most underrated players in Maryland. In June, during his AAU season, McKenna got to play in front of several programs, including the Illini.

During an interview with

247Sports, 

McKenna discussed what it was like having the spotlight in front of him.

"“It felt good to play in front of all the coaches recruiting me,” he said. “It was good battle and I played some of the guys on my EYBL team. I knew coming into the game would be a big one.”"

As far as Illinois is concerned, McKenna likes the hometown connection between him and Chester Frazier.

"“I really like the school. Coach Frazier is from Baltimore so he’s close to here. I’ve also watched Illinois play a couple times and they’re a hard gritty team.”"

McKenna’s recruitment will be one to watch over the next several months, as he’ll look to help the Bulldogs rebound from a 3-13 season in 2021.