Composite five-star Bolingbrook guard Brady Pettigrew is set for an unofficial visit to Illinois on Monday, a source told Illini Inquirer. Sam Kayser of League Ready first reported the news.
Pettigrew, who is 17, is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 18 overall prospect in the Class of 2028 and the top player in Illinois. Earlier this month, he told Illini Inquirer’s Kyle Tausk that he is considering a move up to the Class of 2027.
The 6-foot-3 guard put together a big sophomore season at Bolingbrook, averaging 21 points, five rebounds and three assists per game while helping lead the program to 25 wins and a sectional title game appearance. He has carried that production into the spring, where he is fourth in scoring on the EYBL 16U circuit with 23.6 points per game for Brad Beal Elite.
Illinois got in early with Pettigrew and was one of his first high-major offers, but the list around him has grown fast. He now has more than 25 Division-I offers, with Ohio State, Auburn, Villanova and Florida State all jumping in this month.
For Illinois, Pettigrew sits near the top of the board. The Illini view him as one of their premier prep targets, along with 2028 four-star Neuqua Valley wing Cole Kelly.
Their pitch is built around guard development, and it’s a strong one right now: Terrence Shannon Jr. went No. 27 overall, Kasparas Jakucionis went No. 20, Will Riley went No. 21 and Keaton Wagler went No. 5 in the last three years.
Former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu also recently agreed to a five-year, $112 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Pettigrew has already been on campus multiple times, so Monday’s trip is another sign that the interest is mutual. The visit also comes with Illinois fresh off a Final Four run two months ago, which only adds to the momentum around the program.
That said, Illinois is not alone in the mix. Pettigrew said earlier this month that Arkansas, North Carolina, LSU, Missouri and Texas are also in regular contact with him, and close friend and former Bolingbrook teammate Davion Thompson is committed to Arkansas. Even so, the Illini have one of the strongest guard-selling resumes in the country right now and have picked up in-state momentum with two Class of 2027 Illinois prospects already committed: four-star Neuqua Valley sharpshooter Mason Martin and four-star wing Quinton Kitt, an East Peoria native who has transferred to Monarch Academy in Kansas City.
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