Illinois basketball building a strong backcourt in the class of 2025

Illinois basketball is on a roll when it comes to recruiting, as we have landed another big-time player.

The class of 2025 has been wild for the Illini. At one time, we had the top class in the country. After a couple of players were reclassified to the 2024 class, Illinois was left in the dark without a commitment.

That all started to change just days ago. On September 18, Keaton Wagler decided to end his recruitment and pick Illinois. He was a great first piece to the puzzle.

On Wednesday, Illinois was able to land another talented recruit. On3.com posted on social media that Brandon Lee has picked the Illini as his landing spot.

Lee is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound shooting guard from The Patrick School in New Jersey. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 98 player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 18 shooting guard in the country and the best player coming out of New Jersey.

Illinois was not Lee’s only scholarship offer. He also had offers from teams like Mississippi State and Rhode Island, among others.

Brandon Lee is bringing big-time scoring ability to the Illinois basketball team in 2025

Getting more shooting in the doors is a priority for the Illinois coaching staff. There could be some serious turnover in the backcourt after this next season, so having more talent waiting in the wings is huge.

Lee can provide Illinois with that necessary scoring. He suited up for the NY Rens AAU team in the EYBL this past summer. In 15 games, he averaged 22.8 points per game, which ranked No. 3 among some of the top recruits in the country.

I love the fact Lee can hit his free throws. That shows you he is a good shooter. While Lee wasn’t great from three-point range – just 29.1% in the EYBL – he did have some good games. Lee had contests where he shot 42.9%, 75%, and 44.4% from three-point range during that 15-game stretch.

This is a solid addition to the Illinois basketball program. Lee brings the Illini great scoring ability and another big-time option in the backcourt.