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CHAMPAIGN — Illinois kicked its recruitment of Bryce Hopkins again into excessive gear when the Fenwick standout decommitted from Louisville on Aug. 9. The Illini remained concerned in Hopkins’ recruitment proper to the ultimate second Monday night … when he made a contemporary dedication to Kentucky.
Lacking out on Hopkins, who had a prime 9 that additionally included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan, Cal, Windfall, Oregon and Texas, is the newest in a rising checklist of misplaced alternatives for the Illini within the Class of 2021. The four-star ahead choosing Lexington, Ky., over Champaign follows within the footsteps of comparable misses like Brandon Weston (Seton Corridor), David Jones (DePaul) and Jordan Nesbitt and Sam Ayomide (Memphis).
Illinois’ 2021 recruiting class, which nonetheless options simply Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead four-star guard Luke Goode, stays 12th within the Huge Ten staff rankings per 247Sports activities forward of solely Indiana and Iowa. Goode dedicated in April, and any recruiting momentum from that first addition to the category has all however petered out.
The Illini had been forward within the sport within the Huge Ten when it landed Goode, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound guard with a repute as a shooter. Nearly all the convention has since surpassed them, with Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State all boasting prime 10 2021 recruiting lessons.
What number of extra gamers Illinois may add within the 2021 class is as much as some debate, with the NCAA granting a bonus 12 months of eligibility for all males’s basketball gamers clouding the problem of obtainable scholarships for the 2020-21 season. Nonetheless, Illinois might have as many as 4 open scholarships between Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams taking part in out their senior seasons and the professional potential of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.
Which means there’s nonetheless work to do in recruiting the Class of 2021. Illinois pivoted to four-star guards Welsey Cardet Jr. and TyTy Washington when Weston and Jones dedicated elsewhere. Newer affords to IMG Academy (Fla.) ahead Kordell Charles, Heart Pointe Christian (Fla.) wing Ramses “RJ” Melendez and First Love Christian Academy (Pa.) ahead/wing Mustapha Amzil is a transfer in an identical path.
Including one other wing alongside Goode isn’t Illinois’ solely recruiting precedence. With the length of Cockburn’s Illinois profession undetermined after testing the NBA draft waters this offseason, the Illini stay energetic in pursuing four-star middle Mac Etienne. The now Brewster Academy (N.H.) large man was the Gatorade Participant of the 12 months in Connecticut for the 2019-20 season after he put up 15 factors, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks and two assists per sport at Suffield Academy.
Etienne is a mixture between a contemporary middle and old skool submit participant. He’s robust across the rim at each ends, however the 6-10, 220-pounder has proven a capability offensively to stretch his sport to the perimeter. Etienne has greater than a dozen excessive main affords now, however most experiences have him ready for a spring dedication.
Scott Richey is a reporter overlaying school basketball at The Information-Gazette. His e mail is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you may comply with him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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