Combo guard Ethan Brown commits to Illinois Basketball

NEWS: Illinois basketball has landed the commitment of four-star combo guard Ethan Brown. Brown is one of the rising prospects in the class of 2026 after a strong performance in the Summer AAU circuit. He chose to commit to the program just after his official visit to campus, over offers from Northern Iowa and Missouri State. He is a 6-foot-4 combo-guard with a very intriguing skillset and lots of upside. Brown marks the first commitment for Illinois basketball in their class of 2026. As a junior in high school, Ethan Brown averaged 22.2 points, 6.1 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 steals.

Per Jeremy Werner of Illini Inquirer, assistant coaches Tyler Underwood and Zach Hamer were the lead recruiters for Brown.

The Fit

Ethan Brown certainly has a lot of long-term potential. He has great size for his position and is an exceptional shooter. He has a strong basketball IQ and can play both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Ethan Brown is the perfect replacement for rising senior guard Kylan Boswell. After the 2025-2026 season, the Illini will have to replace a lot of perimeter players. With current freshmen Brandon Lee and Keaton Wagler, the Illini now have multiple different guards, all with different skillsets.

Jeremy Werner has compared Brown to Austin Reaves and Christian Braun, which I personally think are exceptional player comparisons. Brown has underrated athleticism and versatility for his position and should be a very productive player at the college level.

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