2. Alex Constanza
Will Riley was not only a big recruit for Illinois on the court, but he showed that you can come to Champaign and become a first round pick in the NBA Draft. Someone similar to Riley is Alex Constanza.
Constanza is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound small forward who now attends SPIRE Academy in Ohio. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 14 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 4 small forward in the country and the No. 2 player coming out of Ohio.
Illinois has been tied to Constanza for quite some time. He took an official visit to Champaign back in December, and I don’t believe we have let the foot off the gas.
Constanza also transferred to SPIRE within the past month or so, and that is a good move for the Illini. It gives the Illinois coaching staff more access to his high school career and the potential to visit him more often to watch his talent on the court.
Like I said earlier, Illinois needs another Riley on the court. Constanza fits that bill. He has a nice buttery shot. Constanza has a big enough driving threat to help him create space on the perimeter, which he can knock down shots. He has a little Tracy McGrady in him, and that is special. He starts from the first second he is on campus at Illinois.