Illinois basketball news: Three-star wing Landon Davis commits to the Illini

NEWS: Illinois basketball has landed the verbal commitment of three-star small forward Landon Davis, out of Waukee, Iowa. Davis is the second commitment to the class of 2026 alongside combo-guard Ethan Brown, who committed to Illinois just one week ago.

The Illini extended an offer to Landon Davis on July 2nd and quickly closed down on his recruitment. 

Davis is a 6’8” power forward from Iowa and is ranked as the #4 overall player in the state for the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He attends Northwest High School, where he plays alongside former Illini target and recent Nebraska commit Colin Rice.

More on Davis’s game

While Davis drew high-major interest from Iowa, Illinois was the only power conference program to officially offer him. He also received offers from Drake, UIC, and Northern Iowa.

Assistant coach Zach Hamer led Davis’s recruitment and saw significant potential in his game. Hamer watched Davis multiple times on the Adidas 3SSB AAU circuit, where he played for Iowa United and averaged 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. During his junior season, he averaged 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

Although his AAU stats may not stand out, Davis’s size and ability to stretch the floor make him an intriguing prospect. Like Ethan Brown, he brings long-term upside with the right development.

Davis chose to grow his game at Illinois rather than pursue immediate playing time at mid-major programs. He’s expected to play limited minutes as a freshman but has the potential to develop into a multi-year contributor and a key piece for winning teams in Champaign.

________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team proudly announces that Feedspot has named us a top-10 Illinois news source! Please continue to support us by checking out our original apparel here. 

Above all, for feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Additionally, please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter here! Go Illini