Illinois went into the weekend hoping to host one of the biggest names in its 2027 recruiting picture. Instead, NaVorro Bowman Jr. made his choice early, and UConn landed the five-star point guard after a stop in Storrs.
Bowman, a 6-3 guard ranked No. 11 overall in the 2027 class, had a Champaign visit lined up, along with future trips to Texas and Arizona. That visit to Illinois never happened. He committed to the Huskies after just one stop.
For Illinois, the miss lands at a time when the program is already looking ahead to its next backcourt pieces. The Illini need to keep working on a 2027 guard, and the Bowman decision only sharpens that urgency. It’s still too early to lock in any predictions, but Illinois clearly has its eyes on a future where freshman Quentin Coleman could be off to the NBA after one season in Champaign.
The Bowman news also comes with a little extra sting because of what UConn has already done to Illinois on the court. Dan Hurley’s team has eliminated the Illini in two of the past three NCAA Tournaments, doing it in the Elite Eight and Final Four. The Huskies are now beating Illinois on the recruiting trail, too.
Illinois will get a chance to see UConn again soon enough. Brad Underwood’s team is scheduled to face the Huskies on Dec. 4 at Chicago’s United Center, which will serve as Illinois’ second home court.
But that matchup won’t solve the roster issue in the backcourt. Illinois still needs guard help in 2027, and the list of obvious options has already thinned.
Cayden Daughtry, another dynamic 2027 guard the Illini had targeted, released a top 14 in late August and Illinois was not included. The same was true for other highly rated 2027 guards Illinois offered, including Nasir Anderson and Reese Alston.
One name still hanging around for Illinois is King Gibson. The 6-foot-4 guard is a three-level scorer with solid playmaking and the kind of size that makes him stand out.
He recently trimmed his list to a top 10, and Illinois made the cut. The catch: Gibson set five visits, and none were to Champaign.
One bit of good news for the Illini is that Gibson’s scheduled trip to Storrs is no longer on, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.
With Bowman now headed to UConn, the Huskies will also no longer host Daughtry, Gibson, or Micah Gordon for official visits, a source told @Rivals.
For Illinois, the path forward is pretty clear. The staff can go all-in on Gibson, wait and see whether the transfer portal becomes the answer after the 2026-27 season, or bet on high-upside freshman Ethan Brown in 2027-28.
However it plays out, Illinois has built a strong reputation for roster building over the past few years, and this is the kind of puzzle the program has shown it can handle.
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Illinois Needs More From These Key Pieces Before Duke Test
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On the other side of the ball, Xavier Scotts return from injury was encouraging simply because he was out there, but his impact was muted in a defense that needed more pop. With Duke up next, Illinois will be looking for more than just solid snaps from those three, because the second week of the season is where early strengths get tested and the supporting cast starts to matter even more. [Read more 🡒]