A Bright Future Ahead for Illinois Basketball

The Illinois basketball team has been making waves in the offseason, and it’s not hard to see why. With a slew of new recruits and a strong core of returning players, the Illini are poised for a big season. But one recruit in particular has caught my eye: five-star forward Will Riley.

The Illinois basketball team is on the rise

Riley, a 6-foot-8 small forward from Pennsylvania, recently added Illinois to his top five schools, and I believe momentum is building in favor of the Illini. With a Crystal Ball Prediction from Alec Busse of 247Sports, it’s clear that Riley is seriously considering Champaign as his landing spot.

Riley is a five-star recruit and the No. 3 small forward in the country

If Riley does commit to Illinois, it would be a huge coup for Brad Underwood and the Illini coaching staff. The talented forward has discussed the possibility of reclassifying and moving up to the class of 2024, which would make him eligible to play next season. And with Morez Johnson Jr. already on board, the Illini frontcourt would be absolutely stacked.

Johnson is a consensus top-35 player in the class of 2024

The scenario of Riley committing to Illinois and then reclassifying is a legitimate possibility, and it’s one that has me drooling with excitement. With Riley at the No. 4 spot and Johnson at the No. 5 spot, the Illini frontcourt would be one of the best in the country. And with depth off the bench from incoming transfer portal players Ben Humrichous and Carey Booth, Illinois would enter the 2024-25 season with one of the best rosters in all of college basketball.

Humrichous is one of several transfer portal players joining the Illini

I haven’t laid out the entire scenario fully, but just looking at who we have on the roster, I think you have a frontcourt that would be nearly unbeatable. And with Riley’s talent and potential, the sky’s the limit for the Illini.

The Illinois basketball team is on the rise, and it’s an exciting time to be an Illini fan