Illini PG Quentin Coleman ready to bring winning to Champaign: “I hate losing”

Quentin Coleman has been a winner throughout his entire high school career. Coleman, who just signed with Illinois on April 19th, has won back-to-back state titles for Principia High School and was a key player on a Brad Beal Elite team that won the EYBL championship. After officially signing with the Illini, coach Brad Underwood had quite a compliment for Quentin.

“Quentin is one of the most competitive players I watched in the Class of 2026. He is an elite competitor, so it’s no surprise that winning is in his DNA,”

When did Quentin Coleman become such a competitor? “Just outside my house, playing basketball with my dad in the driveway.” He told Armchair Illini in a recent exclusive interview. “He would beat me, and I would come home, and we had this little trophy thing, and one time he would let me win. Then the next time we go back out there, he’d come in my room and just take it. And I used to just cry, but I mean, I feel like that was the best thing that happened because it’s like it just built up and I just couldn’t wait until the next time to play him.”

Coleman will fit right in

Winning has been something that Brad Underwood has infused into the Illinois basketball program. In the past seven seasons, Underwood is 167-79 overall with one trip to the Final Four, one Elite Eight, and seven total NCAA Tournament births. On top of that, Illinois is returning the core of its team that made it to the Final Four. Though they are losing key cogs in Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell, Quentin Coleman is ready to continue that success, but through his own path. The O’Fallon, Illinois, native is now officially a five-star prospect per 247sports and is tabbed as one of the best freshmen guards coming into college basketball.

“I feel like pressure is a privilege. Like when you have pressure, that just means that you earned that pressure. And so when I have that mindset, it’s like okay, I’m supposed to belong here. Like when you win, everything else is going to fall in line.”

The Illini are truly getting a star in Quentin Coleman.

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