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Illinois basketball locks in another official visit for 2026

It is the offseason, and the Illinois basketball team is trying to wheel and deal for some talent in the future
ByRees Woodcock|
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Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood watches as his team plays March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against VCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood watches as his team plays March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against VCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Illinois basketball is trying to ride a trip to the Final Four to the moon right now, especially when it comes to recruiting.

We can’t let this momentum die out, and there is no reason to believe it will. The Illini were recruiting at a high level before the great run, and Underwood is still trying to add to the class of 2026 late in the game.

On Wednesday night, Dushawn London of 247Sports reported on social media that Illinois has locked in an official visit with Zavier Zens.

Zens is a 6-foot-7, 215-pound small forward from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Wisconsin. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 237 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 3 player coming out of Wisconsin.

Illinois isn’t the only program getting one of his official visits. He will start his official visit tour at Utah State on Friday. He then has Illinois on Sunday and Wisconsin on Monday.

The recruitment of Zens has been a roller coaster. After getting solid recruiting attention, he ended up committing to Northern Iowa back in August 2025. On May 30, 2026, he ended that commitment and reopened his recruitment.

Illinois, Wisconsin, and Utah State all swooped in.

Illinois basketball continues to eye players who are Gatorade Player of the Year-caliber

The rise of Zens has been impressive. He wasn’t hugely regarded before this season, but he averaged 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a senior.

These numbers were good enough to not only get Zens in the conversation for Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin, but he actually took home the honor.

Illinois has a history of either targeting or landing Gatorade Player of the Year winners. Illinois has already landed the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, Quentin Coleman, for 2026. Just this past season, Keaton Wagler took home the award in the state of Kansas. Historically, in the state of Illinois, we have also pulled in talent like Morez Johnson Jr., Adam Miller, Mark Smith, Rayvonte Rice, and Dee Brown, among others, who have all won the award.

The hope at this point is that Illinois can land Zens. He is a solid forward who can stretch the floor and be that point-forward that Underwood loves.

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