In the ever-changing landscape that is college basketball, an emphasis on immediate help from European and transfer portal players seems to have overtaken big fish recruit hunting for the Illinois basketball program.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the older, more experienced teams tend to have more success, especially in March. A part of the reason last season underwhelmed as much as it did was due to the lack of experience from some of the Illini's key players.
Brad Underwood seems to be leaning into this new age of experience and maturity by reaching out overseas to acquire European talent, as was evident by the massive number of additions he made this past offseason.
Consequently, the days of top-tier recruiting may be taking a back seat. With their recent additions to their 2026 class consisting of three-star Landon Davis and four-star Ethan Brown, the days of the five-stars like Ayo Dosunmu and Will Riley may be over, at least for now.
While the Illini will always be in on top recruits as a college basketball staple, it seems that may not be exactly what they are looking for. Instead, an emphasis on weathered European and transfer portal talent will overtake these project recruits.
This intriguing new strategy has its positives and negatives for Illinois basketball
The main fear is how quickly European and transfer portal talent produces. Under this strategy, the success of any given season is so reliant on how swiftly they can adapt to the college game and the Illinois system to perform at a high level.
Seasons could be wasted due to talent fizzling out, dashing hopes and expectations of both the Illini fans and coaching staff members.
However, the trust and respect Underwood has earned over his tenure with the Illini should instill hope that this strategy will work. The dedication and effort that this coaching staff puts into scouting and recruiting are thorough and diligent.
The likelihood of some players not panning out the way they were expected to is relatively low, given the prestige this staff has earned for themselves.
While errors in judgment are still bound to happen, the program does enough to reduce those misses to nearly zero.
This upcoming Illinois season could truly be make or break for the way this staff takes roster construction, but betting on Brad Underwood and his group seems to be a pretty sure thing.