Illinois basketball offers 2026 forward with Big Ten interest

The Illinois basketball coaching staff offered three-star prospect Colin Rice a scholarship, according to his post on X (@Colinlrice). He tweeted on Sunday, June 8th:

pic.twitter.com/7GQ4Y31AUf https://t.co/T5BwQSELxt

— Ryan Foran (@rforan23) June 8, 2025

Rice is a 6’7” small forward from Waukee, Iowa. He attends Waukee Northwest High School and plays AAU for Martin Brothers in the Under Armour Circuit. The 6’7” forward has a visit scheduled with Nebraska for June 15th and holds offers from other Big Ten schools such as Northwestern, Nebraska, and Iowa. 

Rice has been impressive in his seven games on the Under Armour Circuit with the Martin Brothers. According to official Under Armour statistics, Rice is averaging 20.5 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, and is shooting 46% from the field.

ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi ranked Rice as one of the best performers in the UAA Session II.

National attention

The Iowa native received his offer from Illinois basketball just days after visiting the University of Iowa. He is currently ranked as the #3 player in the state of Iowa (247 Sports) and played high school basketball with Iowa head coach Ben McCollum’s son, Peyton McCollum. Because of that, Iowa is considered a heavy favorite for Rice.

The NBPA invited Rice to participate in the Top 100 Camp, which will take place June 9–13 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and will feature some of the top players in the country.

Rice’s stock has risen with his recent success on the AAU stage, potentially elevating him to four-star status by the end of the summer. He’ll have more opportunities to prove himself in events like the NBPA Camp in Rock Hill and the Under Armour Finals in Chicago.

A prospect like Rice, with positional size and shooting ability, is the type of player the Illini coaching staff has been targeting as of late. Iowa and Nebraska will be tough to beat out, but his game fits the Brad Underwood offensive mold.

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