Illinois Basketball Recruiting: 5-star Guard Cuts Illini from top 5

5-star guard Jasper Johnson announced his top 5 schools heading into the latter portion of the 2024 summer. Unfortunately, Johnson’s top five did not include Illinois basketball. Johnson named North Carolina, Louisville, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky as the five schools he will consider. Jasper Johnson visited the Illini in June and seemed to have a strong relationship with assistant coach, Orlando Antigua. However, it seems that Illinois Basketball will continue its search for a guard in the class of 2025.

After Jeremiah Fears reopened his recruitment and reclassified into the Class of 2024 for Oklahoma, word came out that the Illini had made contact with five-star guard, Cayden Boozer. With Johnson off of the board, look for Illinois to continue its push for Cayden Boozer.

Does Underwood still need prep recruiting?

Given the recent influx of success from the transfer portal, the question arises regarding how much Brad Underwood will target prep recruits. After having immediate success with players like Alfonso Plummer, Terrence Shannon Jr, Matthew Mayer, and Marcus Domask, why would the Illini spend a roster spot on multiple players who will need time to develop? If the Illini are going to add a prep recruit, it seems like it would only be for surefire, top talent.

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