5. Colin Rice
Not every recruit has to have a million stars next to their name. Illinois needs quality depth on the roster, and a player like Colin Rice would help take the program over the top.
Rice is a 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward from Northwest High School in Iowa. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 59 small forward in the country. He is also the No. 3 player coming out of Iowa.
It is going to be hard to beat the Hawkeyes in this recruitment, as Rice took an official visit just two weeks ago. He also visited Nebraska and will be at Northwestern in a couple of weeks.
Illinois is a little late to the Rice sweepstakes. We offered him a scholarship back on June 8. The hope is that we can make up some ground and maybe get the kid in the door for an official visit.
Right now, the Hawkeyes are in the lead for Rice, but this could be a long recruitment. Illinois always needs a player like this kid, and we could pull him out of the state of Iowa.
Rice has a nice game, too. His length is underrated. That will cause opponents problems on both sides of the court. Rice has a great ability to shoot the ball from all levels. He is a dangerous player, and I want him with the Illini. Keep an eye on this recruitment in the coming weeks and months. If Rice takes an official visit to Illinois, then we have a legit chance to land him.