Sharpshooting recruit hears from the Illinois basketball program

I think one of the biggest issues for the Illinois basketball team this past season was the fact that we didn’t have shooters.

The Illini squad that went to the Elite 8 had players like Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, who could both knock down shots. That wasn’t the case for the 2024-25 Illinois bunch, who had the mentality of being able to knock down shots, but the skill that didn’t match it consistently.

Brad Underwood needs to find more shooters moving forward. One great option could be Mekhi Robertson. He is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard who now plays for SoCal Academy and is from New Jersey. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 41 player in the class of 2027. Robertson is also the No. 11 point guard in the country and the No. 5 player in California, where he plays high school ball.

According to 365 Recruits, and confirmed by Roberston on social media, the talented guard has heard from numerous programs since the recruiting period opened up. One of the teams on the list was indeed Illinois.

It seems that Robertson’s recruitment is starting to blow up, too. He has received multiple power-four scholarship offers in the past week, and a lot of that has to do with his massive summer he has had in AAU ball thus far.

Robertson suits up for Team Final in the E16 EYBL, and he has impressed. In eight games, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He also shot 59.5% from the field and an eye-opening 36.7% from three-point range.

Illinois basketball needs that type of three-point shooting out of Mekhi Robertson in 2027

I know that On3.com has Robertson as a point guard, but I am not sure why. This kid is a No. 2 guard through and through. He has an incredible shot and is someone who will likely make a home in the top 50 on every recruiting site eventually.

Robertson’s shooting ability would be greatly welcomed in Champaign. Illinois struggled this past season with the long ball. We only had three players shoot over 33% from three-point range, and all of those players were forwards or centers. The only guard we had shoot over 32% was Tre White, and he is now gone.

Underwood wants to play a fun-and-gun offense, but we don’t have the armory for that. Illinois needs to build the roster with shooters. Robertson would fit that bill.