Illinois basketball has a golden opportunity at a must-get recruit

The 2025-26 campaign should be an entertaining one, as the Illinois basketball team loaded up on some great talent.

Brad Underwood didn’t have to do the usual complete rebuild as in years prior, but the head coach filled some of the voids on the Illini roster to give this program a chance come March.

Overall, the work Underwood has done in the recruiting game has been impressive. The class of 2026 isn’t likely to be an exception either. With two depth pieces committed – Ethan Brown and Landon Davis – for next season, Illinois is now looking to add some home runs to the mix.

Multiple home runs are on campus right now. I mentioned Jasiah Jervis earlier this week, as the four-star recruit is taking an official visit and will make his commitment on November 5. But he isn’t the only big-time recruit taking in Champaign.

Pretty much every top 100 recruit has talent, but then you have a handful of players that you can pinpoint and be like, yeah, that kid is a must-get. He is going to be elite at the next level. That is how I feel about Adam Oumiddoch.

Oumiddoch is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard from Overtime Elite in Georgia. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 46 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 4 shooting guard in the country and the No. 3 player coming out of Georgia.

Illinois has Oumiddoch on campus right now. This is a golden opportunity for the Illini to land a player who I believe is criminally underrated for 2026.

Adam Oumiddoch is exactly the type of player Brad Underwood is always looking for on the Illinois basketball roster

Why do I believe Oumiddoch is going to be an elite player at the next level, you may ask? He isn’t just a specialist on the court. Oumiddoch can literally do everything.

If he did come to Champaign, Oumiddoch could play the No. 1 through No. 3 spots on the court. Illinois is going into an exhibition game on Sunday with big question marks around the backcourt due to injury. Oumiddoch is someone who could patch up those holes regardless of who is out.

Oumiddoch has a buttery three-point shot. The mechanics kind of remind me of someone like Tyrese Haliburton. He is currently shooting 36.4% in the preseason for Overtime Elite.

The ability to drive to the bucket and finish around the rim is already at an elite level. Oumiddoch can take contact and still put the ball in the hoop. That strength is rare at the high school level.

Shoot, pass, and rebound, Oumiddoch has it all. You have a Swiss Army Knife who can be a major asset to the Illinois basketball program. The ultimate goal would be to get a commitment in the coming weeks. Regardless, this is a golden opportunity for Underwood to land a recruit who could elevate the program in the coming years.