Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini targets to finish out the class of 2024

Illinois basketball needs to add some frontcourt pieces for the class of 2024.

Landing Morez Johnson Jr. was amazing a couple of years ago. His presence in the paint is going to be huge for the Illini when the 2024-25 campaign rolls around.

But Johnson can’t do this by himself. He is going to need talent around him. That is why I wanted to see who was out there in the class of 2024, and what guards could help Johnson win Illinois’ first national title.

Here are the top five Illinois basketball targets to finish out the class of 2024

No. 5 Carlos Harris

Illinois needs more dogs in the backcourt, and if you want a dog, look no further than Carlos Harris III.

Harris is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard from Curie High School in Chicago. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 35 points guard in the country. He is also the No. 13 player coming out of the state of Illinois.

This past summer, Harris suited up for the Meanstreets AAU program. He would play well for the Meanstreets, helping the program into the Peach Jam. During the Peach Jam, Harris would average 4.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. His 19 total assists for the tournament was a team-high.

There isn’t a ton of recruiting attention being paid to Harris right now, and I think that is due to his questionable shooting ability. That can develop, though. Illinois sees the potential in this kid, as we were his first scholarship offer back in April 2022. He has also visited Champaign since then.

Illinois needs point guard help, and someone like Harris would do the trick. He kind of has a Russell Westbrook type of game. He isn’t the most skilled shooter, but Harris can get to the rim, get to the free throw line, and distribute the ball. Bonus, he is close with Morez Johnson Jr. as well, so there is already chemistry.