Illinois basketball news: 2026 Forward Boyuan Zhang to visit the Illini

Illinois basketball is expected to host  Boyuan Zhang, a 6’7″ small forward in the class of 2026, for an official visit starting today, January 7th. Travis Branham of 247sports reported the news of Zhang’s official visit. Zhang is currently a three-star prospect on 247sports with offers from Minnesota, UNLV, and USC. Per Branham’s tweet, Zhang is a rising prospect who averaged more than 20 points per game on 43.3% 3-pt shooting for Veritas Prep.

Thus far, Illinois basketball has three commits in its class of 2026: Combo Guard Ethan Brown, guard/forward Lucas Morillo, and power forward Landon Davis.

Zhang’s game and fit with Illinois

The first aspect of Boyuan Zhang’s game that stands out is his shooting stroke. Zhang has a compact, smooth lefty shot with a very quick release. At 6 feet 7 inches, he fits the bill of floor spacing and positional size that Brad Underwood has been coveting recently. In recent years, Underwood has emphasized floor spacing in the Illini offense, and Zhang’s shooting stroke fits that perfectly. With Kylan Boswell and Ben Humrichous running out of eligibility, and Keaton Wagler potentially heading to the NBA, Illinois has a need for perimeter shooting and scoring.

Ethan Brown and Lucas Morillo certainly fit that bill; however, Zhang is a sharpshooter that Illinois does not have on its roster. If they can land Zhang, it would be a major boost to the Illini’s perimeter scoring.

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