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Quentin Coleman throwing up eye-popping numbers months before entering the Illinois basketball program

Illinois basketball is getting a great one in Quentin Coleman, and before he comes to Champaign, he has to put on the cape for Team USA.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Principia Panthers guard Quentin Coleman (11) goes for a lay up during a City of Palms Classic semifinal game against the Paul VI Panthers at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.
Principia Panthers guard Quentin Coleman (11) goes for a lay up during a City of Palms Classic semifinal game against the Paul VI Panthers at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. | Brandon Belcher/Special to the News-Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Illinois basketball program has quite the roster for the 2026-27 season, and it seems to only be getting stronger by the day.

Brad Underwood was able to secure the return of quite a few important pieces. The Illini will get back David Mirkovic, who I think could be the best player in college basketball. He was just one of the big-time returning players to help us return to the Final Four next season.

What is even more impressive is the talent that Illinois was able to add. Quentin Coleman was a great get for the Orange and Blue, as he was just a four-star barely inside the top 100 nationally when he committed. Now, he is a five-star and, literally, lighting up the world with his talent.

Coleman is a part of the U18 men’s basketball team for the United States. They are now 5-0 after a 102-56 win over Brazil on Saturday to get to the championship game against Canada.

In this throttling of Brazil, Coleman continued to be the leader the USA needed. He dropped 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. This was all to go along with his +27 while he was on the floor. That was all in 19 minutes of action.

This isn’t anything unusual for Coleman, either. He has been putting up great numbers throughout. In this tournament, he is now averaging 12.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He is a guard, and his 11.8 rebounds lead the entire team.

The final game of the tournament is on Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT.

Illinois basketball is getting another great shooter from the outside for the 2026-27 season

I really love what Illinois is bringing in with the addition of Coleman. He is someone who can light up the scoreboard on any given night, but he clearly does everything else well, too.

For the tournament, Coleman is shooting 35% from three-point range. That is a tough number considering he doesn’t get a ton of shots because there are so many other players looking to get theirs.

The fact that Coleman, at 6-foot-3, leads the team with 11.8 rebounds per game shows you he is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team get wins. That is something Underwood is going to love.

Coleman continues to lead a team filled with talented players for the United States. This is only the beginning of what is to come in Champaign. If you aren’t excited about next season, you should be. The talent on the roster is going to be stupid.

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