The Illinois basketball recruiting front has been awfully quiet lately, as there hasn’t been much action or commitments.
As we all wait to see how good the Illini will be with the class of 2025 entering the program, Brad Underwood is still trying to build out the 2026 class, so we don’t fall behind. That first domino dropped on Wednesday night.
On Wednesday, Ethan Brown took to social media to announce that he has committed to Illinois. This is a nice addition for the Orange and Blue and one that will keep the foundation strong for years to come.
100% COMMITTED!! What a dream come true! Thank you God, my family, my friends, and everyone else that helped me along this journey! Thank you to the Illinois coaching staff for believing in me! I-L-L🧡 #everydayguys pic.twitter.com/0ekOCZZdvq
— Ethan Brown (@EthanBrown2026) July 31, 2025
Brown is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Rolla High School in Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 144 player in the class of 2026. Brown is also the No. 18 combo guard in the country and the No. 6 player coming out of Missouri.
The competition for Brown wasn’t huge. He did take an official visit to Iowa, but the other scholarship offers mainly included mid-major programs. To me, this is a situation where one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Illinois basketball is getting a true combo-guard with the addition of Ethan Brown
There is a lot to love about Brown’s game. The first thing that stands out to me is his aggression. He isn’t afraid to go downhill and get to the rim. Brown still needs to work on finishing at the rim, but he has the right mentality.
I also like Brown’s shooting ability. He can make buckets from just about anywhere on the court. This is what Underwood needs in the near future.
At the end of the day, I believe Illinois can mold Brown into a really good player. The framework is there for him to be good, now let’s see what the Illini can put around him.