Illinois Basketball: 4-star California point guard receives Illini offer

The Illinois basketball team is in early on one of the strongest rising point guards in the country.

Brad Underwood and the Illini coaching staff are still recruiting out in the west — offering a second prospect in The Golden State in as many weeks.

2025 point guard DeMarco Johnson announced to Twitter on Sunday he received an offer from Illinois.

Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 155-pound point guard attending Southern California Academy, where he is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 98 prospect in the class of 2025. The No. 10 player in California also holds offers from Georgia and Virginia Tech, among others.

The California native has had an eventful summer.  He performed in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam just weeks ago and averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in four games for the Oakland Soldiers.

Johnson was also invited to the Nike Elite 100 Camp, where he was named a standout by multiple sources and was included on the camp’s All-Tournament team.

https://twitter.com/eric_hampford/status/1667534267620945920?s=46

What type of player is the Illinois basketball team targeting in DeMarco Johnson?

Johnson offers anything and everything you would want in a point guard.  Watching his Peach Jam reel, two aspects of his game really stuck out to me — his passing and his ability to get to the basket.

The four-star also plays hard-nosed defense, fights for rebounds, and is proficient in transition. One could say Johnson’s energy and play style is similar to current Illini point guard Sencire Harris.

Underwood and staff have an advantage by getting an early start on Johnson’s recruitment, but winning him over will be a fight, as a few other powerhouse programs are expressing interest.