Basketball

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

August 18, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Detroit Free Press)

(Editor's note: Michigan State's Tom Izzo signed a contract extension after this interview was conducted.)

Illinois had one of the nation's top guards in the county on campus recently. Trey McKenney is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Orchard Lake, Michigan. ESPN ranks McKinney as a top 20 prep in the class of 2025. I caught up with Trey again for additional information. 

Kedric: What were your thoughts on the Illinois visit recently? It's been reported that growing up, MSU was your favorite or dream school.

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

August 13, 2022

Illinois recently offered a scholarship to one of the top prospects in the country.

By Zain Bando - IlliniGuys Student Correspondent

August 12, 2022

Ayo Dosunmu played for the Illini from 2018-2021 and was one of the catalysts that helped Illinois go from the basement of the Big Ten to regular season champs just four years later.

But let’s back up a step — 2018. Illinois was in the midst of an extensive rebuild after the firing of John Groce and the hiring of Brad Underwood the previous year. Not many Illini fans were pleased with the move, considering his lack of major Division 1 college basketball head coaching experience. But he had a belief that if he could make Chicago basketball important in Champaign again, something special could happen. And it did. Although it took a little bit of time to adjust. Not just for the program, but the fanbase as well.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 11, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- We all catch ourselves saying things that are drastically outdated and well, stupid. 

For example, I will still, to this day, say “I’m taping that '' or “I am recording that”' when asked about an upcoming game or television/ streaming service show. The fact is there is no physical tape and because I’m a streaming television/service customer, it doesn’t actually record as much as get placed in a file of stuff I intend to watch whenever I have time to binge. So, why do I say “I’m taping that”? Because my appreciation for the language I make a living writing causes me to almost audibly sigh when we’re forced to turn the DVR process into a verb (DVRing). Whether it’s the vocabulary we use or the beliefs we illogically hold onto, the social marketplace will always dictate the most important aspect of life: Relevancy. 

One would think that in 2022, the sophisticated fan wouldn’t need this refresher course on this issue but unfortunately there are those who are following famous talking heads spouting outdated and borderline platitudes that cloud the reality of what is college sports.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

August 11, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Raleigh News Observer)

Illinois entered Tar Heel nation to offer Colt Langdon, a forward from Raleigh, North Carolina. Even though Langdon does not have an offer from North Carolina, he is still getting offers from great college basketball programs. Examples are Ole Miss and Virginia Tech.

Langdon is a 6-foot-7, 205-pound scoring wing who plays like a seasoned veteran, but is only a freshman.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

August 9, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Rock Island Dispatch Argus)

Class: 2025

Why Illinois:  Divine Bourrage is a leader, not a follower. She comes from a family that is talented and rich in basketball history. Her mother Leanne Binion competed against Shauna (Geronzin) Green while in high school. Leanne’s uncle Devon Binion, a former honorable mention All-State basketball player in Illinois, competed in the IHSA State finals when Rock Island took on Chicago Simeon’s Ben Wilson’s team at the Assembly Hall.

The Davenport (IA) North star is a tough-nosed basketball player; she defends in the open court, half court and literally asks every coach she plays for if she could guard the other team's best player.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

August 8, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Hoops)

In November 2021, Illinois received an oral commitment from Morez Johnson, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound power forward from St. Rita High School and the Meanstreets AAU basketball program. 

A lot of fans did not really know what they were getting in this commitment, other than a big kid from the state of Illinois who plays with another giant in James Brown, who is also 6-foot-9.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

August 6, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy MLive.com)

The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team had some major talent on campus recently, sophomore-to-be Trey McKenney, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Orchard Lake, Michigan. 

McKenney is a four-star recruit, but listed by ESPN as the 19th overall prospect in the class of 2025. Illinois was able to get the top prospect on campus and did a wonderful job of selling the Illinois program and what they can do for the star guard. 

His dad John McKenney came away in awe of his time spent in Champaign.

By IlliniGuys Staff

August 4, 2022

The summer workout period is officially over and IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy gives his evaluations and hands out some end-of-summer awards.  Find out who performed the best and a couple of surprise nuggets that we haven't heard before.

Illinois assistant coach Geoff Alexander just arrived back in Champaign this week after watching French 2022 commit Zacharie Perrin shine in FIBA U-18 Europeans Championships. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 3, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Zacharie Perrin's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The only absent member of the 2022-23 Illinois men’s basketball roster still has some work to do overseas.

Just over a month after verbally pledging his services to Illinois’ 2022 recruiting class, Zacharie Perrin - a 17-year-old international star player from France, is currently in Izmir, Turkey attempting to lead his home country to its first gold medal in the FIBA U-18 European Championships since 2016. 

Perrin, a 6-foot-11, 220 pound forward, doesn't turn 18 years old until the end of this month, which is around the time Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said Wednesday he expects the Frenchmen to arrive on campus.

“The FIBA tournament will end this weekend and then he’ll get a couple of weeks off before we expect to see him arrive for the start of school,” Underwood said. 

By Zain Bando - IlliniGuys Student Correspondent August 2, […]

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

August 2, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prospective Insight)

Zoom Diallo is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound PG/SG from Tacoma, Washington, who plays his AAU basketball for Elite Sports Academy. Diallo played in the UAA Finals held in Chicago last month. 

Diallo is a guard who can score at all levels, with his long range jump-shot being his weapon, which, in return, set up his crossover move that had recent Minnesota commit Cam Christie on his heels.  With rosters changing yearly, having another four-star weapon like Diallo would keep the rich guard history moving forward.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 31, 2022

The official AAU basketball season is over; there will be a few late tournaments, but the live session is now over. 

Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood said, “Although the class of 2023 is deep, there's not a lot of players out there next year who a lot of coaches feel can come in and make a difference right away. Right now, we’re all going to be fighting for those players who can.”

Amani Hansberry is the one key player in the class of 2023 who many slept on early. Illinois assistant coach Chester Frazier has been in constant contact with the 6-foot-8 power forward. 

By IlliniGuys Staff

July 28, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

It's the last weekend in July.  That means the start of the fall semester is just around the corner AND we're now less than 90 days away from the Illini basketball team starting preseason drills in its quest to climb higher among the nation's elite.

After a whirlwind spring that saw two-time All-American Kofi Cockburn change his mind and enter the NBA draft, a pair of athletic, veteran Big 12 transfers join the roster, and arguably the most talented Illini freshman class in years step onto campus, the time is drawing near to see what this group has - and what it needs to do.

IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy takes a sneak peek inside the still-being-renovated Ubben practice facility and updates us on the refurbished project that is Illinois basketball.  A program that's coming off a Big Ten tournament title and conference regular season championship in consecutive years isn't satisfied.

Here's Sturdy's scouting report after two months of the guys working together:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

July 28, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois High School Basketball)

Illinois women’s basketball coach Shauna Green and staff are taking a page from football coach Bret Bielema: when you see talent in your backyard, you try to go get them.

Earlier this month, Green and company offered Chicago Whitney Young sophomore-to-be Destiny Jackson, a 5-foot-8 guard who already is listed as one of the nation’s top players.