The women's Illinois basketball program has found a lot of success in recruiting from Example Academy in Frankfort, Illinois.
It has been a major proving ground for current Illini, as Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Mia Zenere are former graduates, while Destiny Jackson and Divine Bourrage both played for the Example Sports AAU team.
Shauna Green and Co. kept the pipeline flowing between Frankfort and Champaign, as they signed freshman forward Morgan Baptist to fill the final spot on their roster.
Morgan Baptist is an Illini 🔶🔷
— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) July 7, 2026
Help us welcome her to the famILLy! pic.twitter.com/NSRgfEk3LD
Baptist, a product of Kankakee, Illinois, began her high school career at Kankakee High School before transferring to Example Academy for her final three seasons. She's known to have a 'high motor' and a nose for the basketball, highlighted by an 18-point, 21-rebound performance in her sophomore season.
The 6-foot freshman will join an already stout frontcourt led by junior Berry Wallace, freshman Cearah Parchment, and redshirt junior Lety Vasconcelos.
Illinois basketball officially has a full roster with the addition of Morgan Baptist
For months, Green and the Illini have been one player shy of a full roster. The Illinois faithful have been wondering who they would turn to to fill the final roster spot and how much of a factor that 15th individual would be this season.
It's a mystery that has officially been solved with Baptist donning the Orange and Blue. Baptist, although impressive in high school, should be seen as a developmental talent who will be used sparingly in her first season with the program.
Granted, this is not to say that Baptist will remain there for her entire collegiate career. But wth superstars like Wallace and Parchment on this roster, it will be hard for her to obtain substantial playing time during the 2026-27 season.
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