Orlando Antigua has had a major impact on the Illinois basketball resurgence

Orlando Antigua was on the original staff that Brad Underwood assembled when he first arrived in Champaign in 2017. Antigua, a longtime Kentucky assistant and former Harlem Globetrotter, was viewed as one of the most impactful assistants after working with John Calipari for a number of years. When he first arrived, his charisma and personality were certainly evident. He and former Illini assistant Chin Coleman were instrumental in bringing in players like Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn, and Andres Feliz, who all helped set a foundation in Champaign.

In his second stint in Champaign, Antigua has continued the same success on the recruiting trail and Illinois is headed to another Elite Eight. When asked about Antigua’s impact on the program, Brad Underwood said:

“He’s the GOAT. He is as good as there is. He is great for me, and I have a tendency to want to coach with the glass half empty. I strive for perfection. I want the perfect game. He’s [Antigua] got a tremendous way of looking at it as the glass half full. He’s got great humor; he makes me laugh. But he is a tremendous relationship person. But he is an unbelievable communicator and connector of people, and that’s invaluable today. He walks in a room, he walks in a gym, he knows everybody, and he can talk to everybody. You can see why he was the lead man for the Globetrotters for many years. He’s just got a great demeanor and personality. He’s great for Brad Underwood, the basketball coach.

A recruiting savant

While at Illinois, Antigua has helped bring in some of the most talented players to ever wear the Orange and Blue. Below is a list of prep recruits that Orlando Antigua has been the lead on (per 247sports).

1. Will Riley
2. Kofi Cockburn
3. Lucas Morillo (Incoming freshman)
4. Andre Curbelo
5. Andres Feliz

Beyond that, Antigua has had connections with both Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic, which have benefited Illinois immensely. He was also a major connection in bringing in Andrej Stojakovic. Not only has Antigua helped bring in immense talent, but it has also been a key part in the development of all these talents. Each year in Champaign, Kofi Cockburn became more and more dominant. A large part of that was credited to the coaching and development by Orlando Antigua.

Antigua has been one of the more underrated pillars of the Illini basketball resurgence. Without his recruiting prowess and development skills, it is hard to see Illinois having the success that it has had.

Brad Underwood might be Orlando Antigua’s No. 1 fan.

Here’s 62 seconds of the #Illini head coach explaining why he calls @CoachOantigua ‘the GOAT.’

(Video from NCAA) pic.twitter.com/uPZ43IbEia

— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) March 27, 2026

______________________________________

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team is proud to partner with Hamilton Walker’s Seafood and Spirits. Reserve your table HERE. Enter our home game giveaways on our social media pages to win a $50 gift card.

We are also proud to partner with the Campus Ink Illini NIL Store! Use the code: ARMCHAIRILLINI for 15% off your purchase. Please subscribe to the Armchair Illini Podcast on YouTube 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 for more Illinois news! Go Illini!