The Illinois basketball program is in the beginning phases of what could be a championship season.
Illinois is now 2-0, and even with two players on the mend, the team is putting up over 100 points each game. They are clicking on all cylinders right now, but the future is also something that Brad Underwood keeps tabs on.
Underwood knows there is going to be some serious change after the 2026-27 season. Nearly all paint players will depart, leaving the Illini looking for answers. We might have found one.
On Saturday morning, Joe Tipton of On3.com reported that Illinois is getting an official visit from Jack Thelen.
4⭐️ Jack Thelen, a 7-foot-1 center in the 2027 class, is taking an official visit to Illinois this weekend, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 7, 2026
The former Wisconsin commit is ranked No. 88 nationally, according to Rivals, and was at UConn for an official visit last week.https://t.co/UTP64iAcjm pic.twitter.com/BgYyvLcjnQ
Thelen is a 7-foot-1, 240-pound center from Maple Grove High School in Minnesota. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 111 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 16 center in the country and the best player coming out of Minnesota.
The official visit is taking place this weekend. He is in Champaign, which should give Illinois a great opportunity to land a big man for the future.
Thelen’s options are really starting to pile up. Not only is Illinois after the big man, but Wisconsin has offered him a scholarship, and the big one, UConn, has offered him, and he took an official visit to the Huskies last weekend.
At this point, it seems like the battle for Thelen is going to be between Illinois and UConn, as he was once a Badgers commit but has backed away from that pledge. The Illinois and UConn rivalry is now spilling out into the recruiting world.
The Illinois basketball roster needs a big man like Jack Thelen in 2027-28 and beyond
All Illinois fans are hoping that this season will be the one where we win a national championship. I think it is a big one for the program because a lot of talent is going to leave after the conclusion of the 2026-27 campaign.
When it comes to the frontcourt, we are going to get hit really hard. Both Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic are gone. Those are the only 7-foot players Illinois has on the roster.
Jason Jakstys looked good in the exhibition games, but he is a question mark. He is 6-foot-10 but will be entering his senior year.
And then you have David Mirkovic and Landon Davis, both at 6-foot-9. If Mirkovic comes back strong, he is heading to the NBA. Davis has struggled to see the court because of frontcourt depth at Illinois.
So, there is clearly a need for talent in the frontcourt. Thelen would come into the program and instantly be a contributor if not a starter. He has the talent, and now it is time for the Illini to finally beat UConn at something.
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