Illinois Basketball: Diamond in the rough recruit keeps Illini in top 6

It looks like the Illinois basketball team is in the running for a talented player out of California.

Not every recruit comes with a ton of stars or recognition. While the Illini have been able to snag high-level players like Morez Johnson, we also need depth throughout the bench. Finding a diamond in the rough is something that is exciting to think about.

A diamond in the rough for Illinois could be Jase Butler. On Monday, Butler took to social media to announce that he had cut his top list down to just six teams. The six programs to make his top list include New Mexico, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Colorado State, UC Santa Barbara, and Illinois.

Illinois basketball target Jase Butler is a cool customer on the court

Butler is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard from The Branson School in California. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 37 combo guard in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 25 player coming out of California.

Clearly, Bulter’s recruitment is just starting to get traction. He has roughly 17 scholarship offers on the table right now, and they are all from mid-majors. Illinois is looking at him and is interested, but I don’t believe we have come in with an offer just yet.

Butler has either scheduled or taken four official visits. He visited UC Santa Barbara back on June 28. Butler then has Loyola Marymount scheduled for August 26, Colorado State for September 1, and Illinois for September 22.

Opinion

The style of play Butler brings to the table is fun to watch. The game comes easy to this kid, and it makes his game so buttery.

Butler’s shot from anywhere on the court is impressive. His southpaw shot will give defenders trouble, and he can hit the step-back three-pointer on command.

I also take notice of how Bulter commands the floor. He can bring the ball up the court and work through a defense. He isn’t stagnant with the ball whatsoever. When I watch him, I get flashbacks of Trent Frazier. Frazier was also an underrated recruit.

I would imagine a scholarship offer from Illinois is coming down the road. This kid is about to have a big senior year, and a lot of teams will start to take notice.