Basketball

By IlliniGuys Staff

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois has been blessed with some immensely talented basketball players over the years.  All-Americans, Big Ten Players of the Year, and those who have reached the penultimate level in college hoops.

IlliniGuys co-owners Mike Cagley, Larry Smith, and Brad Sturdy and IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting Kedric Prince all grew up in the 1970s and 80s, so we posed the question - who is the greatest Illini small forward in your lifetime?

That was the debate in this edition of the I On The Illini podcast:

https://illiniguys.com/illiniguys-top-fighting-illini-sfs-in-our-lifetime-490/

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 21, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fall typically signals the start of college football, but for those who follow basketball recruiting, it also means high school players begin narrowing their lists of potential schools, scheduling official visits, and in some cases, committing before their senior seasons tip off.

Quentin Coleman, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound shooting guard from The Principia School in Saint Louis, has announced his final six programs. His list includes Illinois, Saint Louis, Texas A&M, Iowa, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech. Each program is making a strong push to land the talented shooting guard, with hopes of getting him on campus soon and securing a commitment.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 16, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –  Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood has successfully put the Fighting Illini back on the national stage. This is evident not only in their victories, but also in the number of players hearing their names called on draft day.

Diehard fans will remember Morgan Park star Ayo Dosunmu being called the "pied piper" when he became the first big name to commit to Underwood's Illini program. The dynamic guard went on to earn first-team All-American honors and gain national player of the year consideration while lifting Illinois from a school-record 21 losses his freshman year to a Big Ten championship and number one seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament. Dosunmu was taken early in the second round of that summer's NBA Draft by his hometown Chicago Bulls, but experts later surmised that his level of play his rookie season instead warranted being a lottery pick.

Fast-forward four years and Underwood and staff now carry a very special card in their pocket when visiting prospective players

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

August 19, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

The Meanstreets 16U squad had a great run at the Peach Jam, in large part due to the performance of three of the top players on the EYBL 16U circuit. Jaxson Davis, Quniton Kitt and Davion Thompson led the way as Meanstreets showed out over the course of the summer.

Davis, the 6’0 PG from Warren, was the ultimate floor leader, scoring 18 points per game and dishing out 6 assists and even grabbing 5 rebounds. He was also one of the most efficient players on the circuit, shooting 43% on 120 attempts. Throw in 48% shooting from 2 and 80% from the line, while boasting a better than 5 to 1 assist to turnover ratio and you see why he is so coveted by the Illini and others.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 18, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Talented nontraditional big men are rare in today’s game, especially those who can score with their back to the basket while also stretching the floor. Aliou Dioum, a standout in the 2026 class, is one of those versatile prospects, and Illinois is still in the running for his commitment.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

August 15, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

School is back in session and the football season is just weeks away from kicking off.  That means it's "visit season" - time for prospective Illini to come in, tour the campus and facilities, and hear why they should choose Illinois over their other suitors.

For the first time in decades, prospective Illini student-athletes will be taking in home games of a football program ranked in the top 15. Illinois men's basketball plans to take advantage of that raucous atmosphere.  Here's a look at some of the recruits making arrangements to be in Champaign:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 14, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy USA Basketball)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s basketball program is wasting no time making waves in the 2026 recruiting cycle, securing two early commitments while positioning itself for a run at one of the top prospects in the nation.

Head coach Brad Underwood and his staff have already landed Ethan Brown, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound combo guard from Rolla, Mo., and Landon Davis, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward from Waukee, Iowa. Both are three-star prospects who bring skill, versatility, and competitive toughness to the class.

But Illinois’ recruiting push isn’t slowing down. On the weekend of September 12th, when the No. 12 Illini football team hosts Western Michigan, four-star forward Cameron Holmes from Goodyear, Ariz., will be in Champaign for a visit.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

Double Dribble 2-1 Focus: Jasmine Brown-Hagger Eyes Bigger Role, Tomislav Ivisic Expecting a Big Year.

Player Biography: Jasmine Brown-Hagger, a 5-foot-9 combo guard from Shorewood, Illinois, played her high school basketball in-state and ran with Example Academy on the AAU circuit. Regarded as the No. 1 player from Illinois in her class by espnW HoopGurlz, she initially committed to Mississippi State before transferring to Illinois last summer.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 13, 2025

Today’s Double Dribble 2-1 Focus features Illinois men’s center Tomislav Ivisic and women’s guard Brown-Hagger.

Player Biography: Tomislav Ivisic enters his second season with Illinois as a 7-foot-1 center from Croatia. Due to his playing status before arriving on campus, the NCAA reviewed his eligibility, but he ultimately joined the Illini as a sophomore.

He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the media last season, leading the team in rebounding at 7.7 per game and blocked shots at 1.2 per game.

Ivisic made history

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 8, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s basketball program continues to build its future with the addition of 2026 forward Landon Davis, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound standout from Waukee, Iowa, who spoke with IlliniGuys about why he chose to join the orange and blue.

Davis, a skilled and versatile frontcourt player, received his first Division I offer from Illinois, a moment he won’t forget. Illinois assistant coach Zach Hamer made the call, and Davis admitted the offer left him more than thrilled.

Davis visited Champaign last year during a football game, he told IlliniGuys, and that early interest laid the foundation for his decision.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 5, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Hoops)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois men’s basketball added another key piece to its 2026 recruiting class with the commitment of Landon Davis, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward out of Waukee, Iowa.

Davis joins 6-foot-4 guard Ethan Brown of Rolla, Missouri, as the second pledge in Brad Underwood’s 2026 class. Brown was the first to commit, but the addition of Davis shows the Illini are wasting no time building for the future.

By IlliniGuys Staff

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois has been blessed with some immensely talented basketball players over the years.  All-Americans, Big Ten Players of the Year, and those who have reached the penultimate level in college hoops.

IlliniGuys co-owners Mike Cagley, Larry Smith, and Brad Sturdy and IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting Kedric Prince all grew up in the 1970s and 80s, so we posed the question - who is the greatest Illini shooting guard in your lifetime?

That was the debate in this edition of the I On The Illini podcast:

https://illiniguys.com/i-on-the-illini-fighting-illini-top-5-sgs-superman-movie-review-489/

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 5, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Today’s “Double Dribble 2-1 Focus” begins with Illini women’s basketball center Hayven Smith and Mihailo Petrovic

Player Biography: Hayven Smith, a 6-foot-6 center out of Lincoln-Way East High School, was one of the first in-state players to commit to head coach Shauna Green and her staff following their arrival in Champaign. A standout in her prep career, Smith earned a long list of accolades in 2024 including Herald-News Player of the Year, SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue co-Athlete of the Year, IBCA All-State, Illinois AP All-State, and Southtown All-Area honors. She also reached the 1,000-point plateau. Her father, Greg Smith, was a football player at Vanderbilt in the mid-1980s.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

(Cover photo courtesy Eurospects.com)

Double Dribble 2-1 Focus: Mihailo Petrovic and Hayven Smith - Illinois Men’s and Women’s Basketball Player Breakdown

Player Biography: Mihailo Petrovic, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard from Serbia, committed to Illinois in April. The 22-year-old brings international experience, having played for the Serbian national team and Mega Superbet, one of Serbia’s top professional development clubs.

Petrovic averaged 14 points per game and 7.3 assists, establishing himself as a floor general with vision and control.

What we know:

By IlliniGuys Staff

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy was at Ubben this week and shared what he saw of the Illini men's basketball team with IlliniGuys members: