Kansas could hold the key to a giant Illinois basketball class of 2027

There isn’t a lot that hinges on whether or not the Illinois basketball program can put together a talented recruiting class.

Back in my day, it used to be that recruiting in-state players was the way to go. The Illini had to focus on Peoria and, more importantly, the Chicago area, to really get a great recruiting class built up.

That is not the case anymore, though. Brad Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff have spread their recruiting tentacles throughout the entire map, and that includes overseas. We aren’t just trying to land in-state kids, although if they are good enough, why not?

An example is the class of 2026 that is coming into the program. Illinois has six freshmen being added, and only one of those players, Lincoln Williams, is from Illinois.

The class of 2027 could end up being different, though. Illinois already has two commitments in Mason Martin and Quinton Kitt. These two players are both from the state of Illinois.

A recent development has taken Kitt away from his roots, though. On Sunday, it was announced that Kitt would be transferring from East Peoria High School to Monarch Academy in Kansas City.

With the way NIL works, the transferring of a player to a prep academy isn’t as shocking anymore. It gives him a chance to develop his game at a more elite level.

Illinois’ recruiting path isn’t done with just Kitt transferring away from the state. It was also announced that Jaxson Davis is heading to Kansas to play for Monarch Academy.

This is a bit of an eye-opener. Davis is currently a four-star recruit and the No. 42 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 11 point guard in the country and is now the best player in the state of Kansas.

Before his move to Monarch Academy, Davis played for Warren Township High School in Illinois. He has had plenty of notoriety for that program, as he has won the Illinois Mr. Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year awards in back-to-back seasons.

Jaxson Davis could unlock another top 10 recruiting class for the Illinois basketball program

At one point in the past year, it looked like Illinois had a ton of talent in our backyard. That isn’t the case anymore. We have a commitment from Kitt, and Davis is still a top priority. The Illini just have to go through the state of Kansas now to get these two locked in for the future.

Landing Davis would enable the Illini to potentially have another top 10 recruiting class, too.

For 2026, Illinois was able to secure the No. 6 freshman class in the country. Keaton Wagler proved that you can come to Illinois and be a top pick in the NBA Draft. Quentin Coleman is next in line, coming in from the class of 2026.

Davis will have a chance to see what Underwood can do with another talented guard like Coleman. This would continue to prove that we can develop guards to an elite level.

I am guessing that Davis isn’t done rising in the national recruiting rankings. Someone who has won that much hardware in the state of Illinois has a chance to be a top 25 player in the coming months. Illinois securing his commitment would help lock the 2027 class into top-10 status.

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