Illinois basketball making recruiting inroads with elite 2027 small forward

Illinois basketball recruiting has seen a boost over the last couple of seasons that we haven’t seen in a very long time.

The Illini recruiting classes that included Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn, and others were all pretty good, but the class of 2024 takes the cake when it comes to incoming talent.

Illinois’ 2024 class ranks in the top 10 in the country and includes three four-star and one five-star freshman. In addition to the incoming youngsters, there are four four-star transfer portal additions as well.

This type of recruiting class is how you can compete nationally on a consistent basis. Illinois is going to be a really good team in 2024-25. I want that to continue. So, building great future recruiting classes is important.

Illinois has already been putting in work on numerous players from future classes, and one of the best players we are targeting is Howard Williams.

Williams is a 6-foot-6, 180-pound small forward from Chicago. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 21 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 10 small forward in the country and the best player coming out of Illinois.

To start his high school career, Williams suited up for Whitney Young, but he has now transferred to the historical powerhouse Oak Hill Academy to improve his game and hone his talents.

Howard Williams has a good connection with the Illinois basketball team early in his recruitment

Williams still has a long recruitment ahead, as he will eventually have every program in the nation after him. There will be a big decision down the road, but Illinois is clearly in the mix right now.

In a recent interview with Jamie Shaw of On3.com, Williams talked about the Illinois program and a connection he has with someone on the team.

"They have a really good coach, a tough coach. Morez Johnson is my dog, he just went there. I haven’t been to the facility or anything yet, but I know it’s a great school. I’m from there, so that offer meant everything, to get that opportunity."

- Howard Williams, interview with On3.com

Both Williams and Johnson played high school basketball in Chicago, and both players suited up for the AAU program MeanStreets.

This summer with the MeanStreets E15 program, Williams put up big numbers. In 12 games, he averaged 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. His 9.0 rebounds led the entire E15 league.

On top of his great numbers, Williams also has the ability to shoot from all levels. He is great around the rim, but he also stepped out and knocked down 14-of-29, 48.3%, from three-point range this summer.

There is still a long recruitment ahead, but Williams is clearly one of the best players for the 2027 class. Illinois is at the top of my mind right now, which is always a good thing. Let’s see how the next couple of years go. This is a big recruitment opportunity for Orange and Blue.