Illinois basketball offers intriguing 2027 combo guard from New York

The Illinois basketball staff has extended an offer to Class of 2027 shooting guard Joshua Rivera. Dushawn London of 247 Sports posted on X (@DushawnLondon1), “Illinois has offered four-star SG Josh Rivera of @NYRhoops and @step_basketball.”

Rivera attends Archbishop Stepinac High School, and their X account confirmed the news just a minute later, posting, “Congratulations to Rising Junior, Josh Rivera @joshrivera22 on being offered by the University of Illinois of the Big Ten!”

Illinois basketball also offered Rivera’s high school teammate Jasiah Jervis earlier this year. Archbishop Stepinac is also the alma mater of former Illini Alan Griffin.

The 6’7” shooting guard is a four-star prospect and the #70 overall player in his class, according to 247 Sports. He hails from White Plains, New York, and is ranked as the #3 player in the state.

Rivera plays AAU basketball for NY Rens on the Nike EYBL 16U circuit and led the team in scoring during both Peach Jam and the regular season. At Peach Jam, he averaged 17 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game, ranking in the top five in steals per game across the league.

The New York native has excellent size for a guard at 6’7”, offering the Illini positional length at the shooting guard spot, even at the college level. Head coach Brad Underwood emphasizes positional size and shooting, qualities Rivera clearly possesses.

New York remains a key recruiting ground for assistant coach Orlando Antigua, so expect Rivera to be firmly in the mix when it comes time for a decision.

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