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Illinois Basketball: 5 recruits to watch for the Illini class of 2024

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 4, 2012; Champaign, IL, USA; The Big Ten logo displayed on the court before the game between the Western Carolina Catamounts and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Bradley Leeb-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2012; Champaign, IL, USA; The Big Ten logo displayed on the court before the game between the Western Carolina Catamounts and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Bradley Leeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 15, 2023; Des Moines, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood speaks during the press conference before their opening round game of the NCAA tournament in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 2023 class winding down, it is time to crank up the attention on the Illinois basketball class of 2024.

The Illini have started this class well, as we already have a commitment from top 50 recruit, Morez Johnson Jr. He is someone who will give Illinois one of the best frontcourts in the college game.

Johnson needs some running mates, though. The recruiting scene has been extremely quiet lately, but there are still some big fish out there for the Illini to catch.

Here are five recruits to watch for the Illinois basketball class of 2024

Chris Riddle

Illinois could always use more help on the wing, and that is what Chris Riddle could provide the program in 2024 and beyond.

Riddle is a 6-foot-5, 185-pound small forward from Kenwood Academy in Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 146 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 35 small forward in the country and the No. 6 player coming out of Illinois.

Coming into the high school ranks, Riddle started out at Kenwood but then transferred to Compass Prep for his sophomore season. He came back to Kenwood for his junior year.

Illinois came in with an offer to Riddle back in July 2021. He would then take an unofficial visit to Champaign in October 2022. His recruitment has been pretty quiet since then.

How I see Illinois using Chris Riddle

If Riddle picked the Illini, I don’t see him being a starter in the first couple of years. He would be a nice role player who could help spark some momentum off the bench.

I think Riddle would fill in for the No. 2 or No. 3 spot on the floor. He doesn’t seem like a refined player, but this kid can really bring some energy to the team. He would be a nice piece in what could be a pretty good Illinois squad in 2024.

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