Illinois Basketball: Morez Johnson Jr. finalizes Illini commitment

Illinois basketball has inked one of the best recruits in the country for the class of 2024.

The Illini have done a great job building out recruiting classes under Brad Underwood. Signing players like Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, among others, has changed the course of this program.

That trend continued on Wednesday morning when Morez Johnson Jr. officially put pen to paper and signed with the Illini.

Johnson has been committed to Illinois since November 2021. It has been nearly two years to the day he pledged to the program, and when you commit that early in the process, usually there is a de-commitment somewhere along the road.

That didn’t happen with Johnson, though. He has been committed to this program and the coaching staff for two years, and now the dream of playing for the Orange and Blue is coming true.

Morez Johnson Jr. isn’t just a solid recruit for the Illinois basketball program

Illinois landing Johnson back in 2021 was a pretty big deal. But, at the time, he wasn’t rated where he stands today. Johnson has seen a rapid rise in the recruiting rankings. After a big junior year, he was the No. 52 player in the country. By the time the summer was over and Johnson had torn apart the AAU circuit, he found himself the No. 36 player in the class of 2024. Now, the big man is ranked as the No. 29 player by 247Sports Composite Ranking.

Most of the recruiting sites have Johnson as one of the top recruits in the class of 2024 as well. On3 has him as the No. 30 recruit, ESPN has him ranked No. 31, and Rivals has him the No. 29 player in the country.

Illinois doesn’t just have a solid recruit coming in with Johnson now signing. He is a special talent and someone who continues to develop his game every day. It wouldn’t shock me, since there is still a high school season to play, if Johnson rises in the coming months.

I see Johnson having a big senior year and finishing ranked inside the top 25 on most recruiting sites. Five-star status probably awaits as well. That could also mean something that Illinois hasn’t dabbled in since Jereme Richmond; a player in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

It is exciting that Johnson is finally signed and ready to suit up for the Orange and Blue. Illinois fans can now kick back and watch this talented big man dominate at the high school level for one more season.