Illinois basketball targeting under the radar 2025 three-star wing

Less than a week out from the end of the 2023-2024 season, Brad Underwood and the Illinois basketball coaching staff are already looking to bolster the roster for next season.

IUPUI v Illinois
IUPUI v Illinois | Michael Hickey/GettyImages

2025 three-star wing Jaylon Dean-Vines' recruitment has been heating up lately, and the Illinois basketball team is here for it.

Dean-Vines announced Wednesday on social media that he received an offer from the Illini.

Dean-Vines is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound wing out of Kimball High School in Dallas, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 42 small forward in the country. He is also the No. 17 player coming out of the state of Texas. This past season, Dean-Vines averaged 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.

On the same day he announced his Illini offer, Dean-Vines also announced he received offers from the University of Central Florida and Sam Houston University. In total, Dean-Vines holds nine offers from schools including Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

What type of player did the Illinois basketball team offer in Jaylon Dean-Vines

What is there to not like about Dean-Vines' game? He can do it all, but what stood out to me most when watching his tape was his athleticism. He is an athletic freak. Dean-Vines proves this with his ability to swat the ball out of the arena. There were clips where he jumped so high, his head was rim-level.

Those bunnies translate to the offensive end with monstrous dunks. If he gets a one-on-one fastbreak opportunity, it's over for the defender. Just take a look at his tape for yourself.

Absolutely ridiculous, right? Well, Dean-Vines can also shoot the ball from every level on the floor. This includes tightly contested jumpers.

Finally, Dean-Vines possesses some clean handles that allow him to maneuver his way to the basket for an easy two points.

If Underwood and the Illini staff are able to land this prospect, it's needless to say he would bring a ton of excitement and mind-blowing plays to Champaign.

Illinois currently has just one player committed for the class of 2025, and that is four-star point guard, Jeremiah Fears. He alone makes the class ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Schedule