The Illinois basketball coaching staff is trying to get Morez Johnson a running mate in the class of 2024.
I think it is crazy that the Illini have one commitment right now for the 2024 class, and we still rank No. 17 in the nation. Johnson, a four-star recruit who is the No. 46 player in the country, is so talented that he can anchor this class while we try to add more pieces.
Johnson is going to take care of the paint for Illinois, as we have seen in the recent dominance of the Nike EYBL. Now Brad Underwood and the Illini coaches need to add some guard help for the big man.
Landing someone like Trent Perry would be a step in the right direction. On Thursday, the Illini made a move to land Perry, as the talented guard took to social media to announce that Illinois had extended him a scholarship offer.
I’m blessed to announce that I have received an offer from the University of Illinois!! Thank you to Coach Underwood, Coach Frazier, and the rest of the staff!!🧡🤍 pic.twitter.com/ivYGtkTrtD
— Trent Perry (@trent_perry0) July 20, 2023
Trent Perry would give Illinois basketball an electric guard to go along with Morez Johnson in 2024
Perry is a 6-foot-4, 175-pound combo guard from Harvard Westlake High School in California. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 60 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 9 combo guard in the country and the No. 6 player coming out of California.
Illinois is entering the Perry recruitment pretty late in the game. He has over 20 scholarship offers on the table right now, and he has already taken four out of five official visits.
I believe Perry visited Colorado in September 2022. He then visited Vanderbilt on February 25, USC on May 16, and Saint Mary’s on June 9, according to 247Sports. With one official visit left, can Illinois make the cut?
Opinion
Getting in on a recruitment this late in the game is usually a non-starter, but the fact Perry hasn’t made a commitment piques my interest. That could mean he hasn’t seen or received what he is looking for in a program.
I honestly like that the Illini are now pursuing Perry. There could be a few cracks in his recruitment, so slipping in and potentially securing a commitment from a player of his caliber would be huge.
Perry just had a solid AAU season as well. He suited up for Vegas Elite and was a big part of them getting to the Peach Jam championship game in the Nike EYBL. Perry would average 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He also shot 94.4% from the free throw line, which would be a huge change of pace for the Illini.
Love the offer from Illinois. Perry is a guard who can drive the lane and get to the charity stripe. I would love his bulldog mentality on the roster in 2024.