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Brad Underwood has massive weekend, as Illinois basketball tries to build for future

It was a big weekend for the Illinois basketball program with multiple important recruits in town.
ByRees Woodcock|
Illini head coach Brad Underwood, in orange, and associate head coach Orlando Antigua greets fans at the Class 3A Washington Sectional semifinal Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Washington Community High School. The Redbirds' rallied to defeat Kankakee 65-63 in overtime.
Illini head coach Brad Underwood, in orange, and associate head coach Orlando Antigua greets fans at the Class 3A Washington Sectional semifinal Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Washington Community High School. The Redbirds' rallied to defeat Kankakee 65-63 in overtime. | MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Landing big-time recruits has been something that Brad Underwood has progressively gotten better at since taking over the Illinois basketball program.

The trend started with Ayo Dosunmu, and now the Illini head coach is landing players like five-star Will Riley and others to help build the roster into a national contender.

Over the weekend, Underwood had a huge task on his hands. He had to entertain and convince some of the biggest recruits in the country that Champaign was the place to be.

One of the massive recruits was Cameron Holmes. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound small forward was taking an official visit to Illinois. He has numerous official visits lined up right now, and Illinois was the first program to get his attention.

Landing Holmes would be great for the Illini, as he is a four-star recruit and the No. 30 player in the class of 2026. Holmes’ addition to the program would instantly give Illinois a top 25 class in the country.

The crazy part about this weekend is that Underwood wasn’t just trying to land Holmes. The potential big man of the future was also in town.

Underwood was hosting Sinan Huan for an official visit. The 7-foot, 225-pound center was taking in the sights and sounds of what Illinois had to offer. He was also seen with Underwood on campus.

Huan is another giant, literally and figuratively, recruit for the Orange and Blue. The 7-footer is a four-star recruit and the No. 71 player in the class of 2026. He is coming off an official visit to Purdue, so maybe Illinois can land him in the coming days.

A dominating duo for the Illinois basketball program was on campus this weekend

The ramifications of this weekend could be huge for the Illinois basketball program. These aren’t just the run-of-the-mill recruits. Illinois needs both of these big-time players.

Can you imagine having both Holmes and Huan on the court at the same time? Illinois has utilized both positions so well in the Underwood era, and having these two join the program would only elevate the team even more.

I could see Holmes out on the wing being able to shoot from anywhere on the court. He could drive to the basket and draw the defense in. This would enable him to throw a lob to Huan for an easy dunk.

I would love either one of these big-time recruits, but let’s be honest, these two should be a package deal. Having both Holmes and Huan in Champaign would continue to make Illinois a contender.

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