Illinois basketball hosts 7-foot-1 center Jack Thelen for Official Visit

Illinois basketball is wasting little time looking toward the future, and Brad Underwood may have found an important piece for the Illini’s next frontcourt.

Four-star center Jack Thelen is in Champaign this weekend for an official visit, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. The 2027 prospect is one of the more intriguing big men in the recruiting class, and Illinois has a real chance to get involved.

Thelen is a 7-foot-1, 240-pound center from Maple Grove, Minnesota. He is ranked among the top 120 players nationally by several recruiting services and previously committed to Wisconsin before reopening his recruitment in October. He visited UConn last week, making Illinois his second reported official visit since reopening his recruitment.

The competition won’t be easy. UConn is firmly in the picture, while Wisconsin remains a program familiar with Thelen. But getting him on campus gives Underwood and his staff an opportunity to make their pitch at an important time in his recruitment.

The timing couldn’t be better for Illinois.

The Illini have plenty of frontcourt talent this season, but the outlook beyond 2026-27 is a different story. Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic are expected to move on, while David Mirkovic could also have a decision to make depending on his development and NBA prospects.

That creates a significant need for another true center in the program.

At 7-foot-1, Thelen brings the kind of size that Illinois basketball will need to replace. He wouldn’t necessarily be expected to carry the frontcourt immediately, but he could give Underwood an important building block for the next era of Illinois basketball.

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