Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 18, 2022

(Cover file photo courtesy Journal & Topics)

(EDITOR'S NOTE:  IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy and Director of Recruiting Kedric Prince were both in attendance on Friday.  Brad posted updates throughout the day on the IlliniGuys message forums on Friday and Kedric's notes are posted below.)

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and assistant Tim Anderson were in Riverside, Illinois on Friday watching several potential athletes. Underwood was able to see some really good players. Some already have offers and Terrance Smith from West Aurora was extended a visit to the Illinois campus.

June 17, 2o22 (Cover photo courtesy Chicago Sun-Times) It's […]

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said Wednesday he feels new forward Matthew Mayer has yet to reach his potential development despite being a highly attractive transfer portal signing. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 15, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Whether it’s been while recruiting him years ago as a high school prospect, seeing him on the opposing sideline two years ago in Indianapolis or now, Brad Underwood says he’s always been convinced of two things about Matthew Mayer. 

Illinois' newest signing out of the transfer portal is a player Underwood has coveted for several years going back to when he was a Top 100 prospect out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. However, despite being on preseason All-Big 12 teams along with preseason Naismith and Wooden Award watch lists before the tip of the 2021-22 season, the Illini head coach is convinced the 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward still has the potential to improve his overall game in his final season of college basketball in Champaign. 

“I think it’s about continuing to become that guy who is a consistent 40 percent from three,” Underwood said. “I think we have the opportunity to get him those looks and him potentially being a focal point of what we want to do on that end will help him grow in those areas as well.”  

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

June 16, 2022

Illinois football recently picked up four verbal commitments, keeping them among the nation's best in 2023. 

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

June 13, 2022

The big man search for Illinois is not over.

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

June 12, 2022

St. Rita High School in Chicago is loaded with basketball and football recruits these days.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

June 10, 2022

Former Illinois basketball coach Nancy Fahey and her staff knew their lack of size was a problem for them. Assistant coach John Patterson left the states to find one.

Liisa Taponen is 6-foot-5, strong with a great upside, but, more importantly, she will be able to rebound and make layups.

Patterson shared with IlliniGuys previously, "It's not a secret we need size badly. We recruit players in the states; we do well, but in the end they pick other programs. I spent a lot of time out of the states, and found Taponen. She's strong, and doesn't really know how good she can be."

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

June 9, 2022

The Illinois men's basketball program figures it is still one big man away from maybe finalizing the 2022-23 basketball roster.

The Pete Nance situation is puzzling at best. I cannot blame Nance for really looking for the right fit, as this is his last go round.

For those who are members on our IlliniGuys message board, I have shared that Illinois will always have another card up its sleeve.

I wasn't sure there was any steam coming from the Illinois end regarding former DePaul and Western Kentucky big man Jaylen Butz, but sources have confirmed that this is someone who might get added to the roster.

Connor Cagley, IlliniGuys Basketball Writer June 8, 2022 After […]

Three-star OLB Pat Farrell from Chicago’s St. Rita High School is the 12th in-state high school prospect signed by Illinois since Bret Bielema was hired in Dec. 2020. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bret Bielema’s rebuild of the Illinois football program has placed the Chicagoland area as a cornerstone to his recruiting philosophy and Pat Farrell continued that tradition Sunday night. 

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 3, 2022

It did not take new women's basketball coach Shauna Green long.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 1, 2022

The Fighting Illini class of 2023 is at zero right now; with the nation's 10th best-recruiting class in 2022, and already two top 100 in the class of 2024, it is time to land one of the nation's best juniors.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

May 31, 2022

Earlier in the week, Illinois women's head basketball coach Shauna Green got the memo: you need more size.

Every team has it, and she has added it. Aicha Ndour is a 6-foot-6 post who originally signed to play with Rutgers.

Ndour does not have a lot of playing time at the DI level, which may not be all bad. Learning a new system under a new coach from the start will pay dividends later.

Ndour started playing basketball at the age of 16. Illini fans can remember a guy named Kofi Cockburn who was a two-time All-American at Illinois but did not start playing until his freshman year of high school.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

May 30, 2022

The new-look Illini and super senior Jacob Grandison have something in common this week: neither has said goodbye yet, but both are looking at a future that doesn't include the other.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

May 29, 2022

Illinois assistant basketball coach Chester Frazier offered Tafara Gapare well over a month ago. But with the focus now shifting away from transfers, high school prospects are once again taking center stage.

Tafara Gapare is a 6-foot-10, 210-pound small forward from South Kent School in New Zealand.

Make no mistake: Gapare is not "Plan B"; he is currently listed as a 2023, but his camp and several colleges are hoping to get him to reclassify to participate in the class of 2022.

Here at IlliniGuys.com we have shared how scholarships work: sometimes an offer will be put on the table as a "courtesy," but then there are those when everyone is all in.

Gapare said, "I'm learning so much more about Illinois. Because of my schedule, I didn't get to watch a lot of games, not just Illinois but all of the schools recruiting me. I have people in my circle that I trust to help guide me when it's time to decide. I know they know Coach (Chester) Fraizer very well."