Illinois Basketball: Illini in early on 2026 Arkansas wing

Illinois basketball has been hitting the recruiting trail lately, targeting some big names from future classes.

While the Illini are buttoning up the class of 2024 and all of the talent that group will have, the coaching staff is also looking at multiple recruiting classes past 2024.

On Monday, JaShawn “JJ” Andrews took to social media to announce that he had received a scholarship offer from the Illini. This is one of roughly five scholarships currently on the table for Andrews, with plenty more to come in the next couple of years.

Illinois basketball is getting in early on a budding superstar in JaShawn “JJ” Andrews

Andrews is a 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard from Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas. He isn’t rated or ranked just yet due to him being in the class of 2026, but the offers he does have are from big programs such as Ole Miss, Arkansas, and now Illinois.

This offseason, Andrews suited up for the Brad Beal Elite AAU team in the E15 segment of the Nike EYBL. He would help his team to a 3-2 record, and his performance for a young kid was impressive. Andrews would end up averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 assists per game.

There is a lot to like about Andrews’ game. His handles are off the charts. Being able to dribble the way he does is quite impressive. I think he will probably grow a few more inches, so he is going to be a solid 6-foot-7-ish wing when he enters the college ranks. There is also plenty of room to grow. Andrews is just getting started, and that is something to be excited about moving forward.

Illinois is smart in offering Andrews a scholarship. The future is bright for this kid, and the Illinois coaching staff can say they were one of the first programs to take notice.