Basketball

This isn't for the faint of heart.  The number of players on the board is through the roof.  The possibilities of who will be wearing orange and blue come fall are off the charts.  And it seems to change by the week. Wednesday night, more than 70 members of the IlliniGuys community gathered to hear the latest from IlliniGuys co-founder and Illini insider Brad Sturdy.  Let's look at the top possibilities as of today:

We know recruiting is fluid, but one insider thinks he will commit to the Illini as early as this weekend.

Illinois has everything else he's looking for, including proximity to his close-knit family.  One source close to him says it's Illinois.  Time will tell if he's right.

Gavin Sullivan of the Mid Pro Academy joins Sturdy […]

Is the coach who recruited you now gone?
Were you recruited over and didn't get the playing time you'd hoped for?
Having second thoughts that you didn't pick your second choice instead?

All of that can now be remedied without penalty.  Add in those seniors and soon-to-be graduates who want to take advantage of another one-time rule -- that which allows players to enjoy an extra season due to the pandemic -- and there will be more than 1,000 players - or roughly 25% of Division I -  in the transfer portal, looking for a new home.

A guard with length who hits 42% from the arc?  Yeah, let's talk.  Sturdy reports these conversations are going well.

Austin Hutcherson, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard/wing who sat out the season due to a stress fracture in his lower back, will play a major role in the future success of the program.

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Brock Harding, a 2023 6-foot-0, 190-pound point guard from Moline, Illinois, is oozing with flair and excitement in his game. Comparisons are tough for some athletes, but today Harding is a younger version of ....

Brandon Wildman and Sturdy breakdown the Illini roster and […]

To look ahead at what each player needs to do in the offseason to keep the Illini in the national spotlight, I sat down with Connor Cagley, an IlliniGuys contributor and analyst who breaks down what some of the key players should focus on.

Lots has happened since our IlliniGuys members-only Zoom call a week ago Monday night, so I went to IlliniGuys co-founder and Illini insider Brad Sturdy to get the 411 on where things stand with some of the top prospects.

"All signs point to the Illini and some in his camp are even going so far to say he will wear Orange and Blue on the next level."

"I scared some IlliniGuys members when I put Illinois' chances at 25% a few days ago; after more conversations and insider info, I think their chances are far greater than that."

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The NCAA Tournament ended and it was a very disappointing outcome to say the least. Now it's time for the staff to get the next generation of talent to come to Champaign-Urbana and restock the team. The names interested in becoming one of the Fighting Illini are impressive. 

Already the Illini have commitments from 6'7" wing RJ Melendez and 6'7" 4-star wing Luke Goode. The class could get much stronger. 

The list of recruits allegedly interested in Illinois is lengthy and includes names like 4-star PG and Creighton decommit Ty Ty Washington, former McDonald's All-American guard and Texas Tech transfer Nimari Burnett, and former Michigan State decommit 6'10 center Enoch Boakye. The next few months will be critical to the Illini's future success. 

There's only one place to keep up with Illini basketball recruiting and that's IlliniGuys.com. Please subscribe so that you'll be "in the know" like other IlliniGuy subscribers.

Mike and Sturdy talk about the devastating Illini loss […]

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The battle for Illinois starts early Sunday morning. The #1 seed Illini look to continue their dominance versus the veteran Ramblers. Illinois looked impressive in their first round victory, but the second round matchup will be a unique challenge. The Ramblers ranked #3 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Kenpom.

Sturdy and Connor Cagley talk Loyola and Illinois, the […]