Big-time Pennsylvania guard receives love from Illinois basketball

Illinois basketball continues to build the list of potential players who could come aboard in the near future.

The class of 2024 ended up being pretty impressive for the Illini. It is honestly going to be hard to top that group of players.

Brad Underwood has started to land some solid talent for the 2025 class too. Illinois has multiple four-star recruits committed, and I don’t think we are anywhere near done.

And then there is the class of 2026. Illinois doesn’t have a commitment yet, but there is plenty of time and a wide range of huge recruits available. One talented player Illinois is now eyeing is Ethan Johnston.

Johnston is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound shooting guard from The Hill School in Pennsylvania. He isn’t rated or ranked just yet, but Illinois is in early on his recruitment, as we are one of the first major programs to offer him a scholarship.

Underwood went and visited Johnston on Wednesday. A scholarship offer soon came after the visit, as Johnston announced on his social media page.

Ethan Johnston would give Illinois basketball another versatile guard in the backcourt

One of the biggest highlights of the Underwood era of Illinois basketball is his ability to mold players into well-rounded basketball talents.

Ayo Dosunmu came in and was a dynamic guard who can play the No. 1 through No. 3 spots. Coleman Hawkins was a big man who developed his three-point shot and could stretch the floor. Ty Rodgers was a great wing player with athletic ability, and he can now play the point guard role.

Johnston is one of those players coming into the college ranks. He is 6-foot-6 and can play the wing, but he has shooting and handles to fill in whatever role Illinois needs in the backcourt.

I love Johnston’s ability to knock down shots from three-point range. He would be a weapon for the program. Johnston can bring the ball up the court and distribute it as well. He is a dynamic guard who can do a little bit of everything. Illinois loves that type of player, and I think he would be perfect in Underwood’s system.