The Brad Underwood era of Illinois basketball has brought in so much talent that I didn’t think was possible.
It has been pretty incredible seeing the transition from what we were as a program to now what Illinois has coming in every season from the recruiting trail. While the talent has upgraded, Underwood has taken recruiting to another level over the last few years.
At this point in Illini recruiting, I am not just expecting solid recruiting classes that rank somewhere in the top 15. I am expecting something more.
Five-star recruits.
The days of Dee Brown are done, a distant memory. He was Illinois’ five-star from the 2000s who helped lift the program to a national championship appearance.
Underwood was able to land Illinois our first five-star recruit in decades when Will Riley pledged his commitment to the Orange and Blue. While that was an up-and-down ride, it gave Illinois fans a little taste of the potential this coaching staff has when it comes to recruiting. It also gave us a first round NBA Draft pick.
There was always a chance that it was a one-off, too. Illinois might have just gone all-in on Riley, and it didn’t work out well, so we back away from spending that high dollar on the top guys.
That isn’t the case.
Illinois is now bringing in five-star guard Quentin Coleman. He is Underwood’s second five-star in three seasons, and Coleman should have a starting job to begin the 2026-27 campaign. You don’t bring in a five-star to ride the pine.
Underwood has now brought in two five-star recruits, and they are the highest-rated players Illinois has snagged since the recruiting rankings started, back in 2003, I believe.
The talent that continues to flow in has changed my mindset on what Illinois basketball recruiting should be. We aren’t that little engine that could, getting excited about a top 50 recruit like they were going to be the make-or-break to our season.
Illinois has to raise expectations in the recruiting game, just as we have on the court. We were a middling program over the past 20 years, and those expectations have been ratcheted up to now being a top contender for a national championship.
Recruiting is following suit. We aren’t one of those teams that signs a solid recruiting class and hopes for the best. We are five-star hunters. Illinois doesn’t just get on top lists anymore, with the inevitable letdown soon to follow. This program targets a five-star, puts resources into the recruitment, and lands the big-time recruit.
More five-star recruits are on the horizon for the Illinois basketball program
Sure, Illinois has only landed two five-star recruits thus far, so why get excited? Well, for starters, that is two more five-star recruits than this program has landed in over 20 years.
Secondly, Underwood is just starting. Something has changed when it comes to recruiting; my guess is money. But that change is very noticeable. It also means Underwood isn’t done with the five-star recruits.
The class of 2027 has a massive target in NaVorro Bowman Jr. He is a five-star and the No. 10 player in the country. Bowman has an official visit to Illinois locked in.
For the 2028 class, you have a player in Brady Pettigrew who is in our backyard. The Bolingbrook star is a five-star recruit and the No. 15 player in the nation. He has already been on visits to Champaign, and the relationships are getting stronger.
Two five-star players coming into the program is fun. Underwood isn’t done, though. This is only the beginning of something special. Expectations have changed on the court, and now the expectations are being taken to another level off the court. Illinois basketball is in an incredible spot right now.
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