Illinois is getting a crack at one of the top frontcourt prospects in the 2028 class.
Composite five-star forward Benjamin “Benji” Berrouet has lined up an official visit to Champaign for Nov. 5, according to 247Sports’ Dushawn London. Before that trip, he’s also set to see Kentucky on Oct. 9 and UCLA on Oct. 28.
The Illini entered the picture in July, when they extended an offer during Nike EYBL’s Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. 247Sports currently has Berrouet pegged as the No. 21 overall prospect in the class and the No. 2 power forward.
At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Berrouet put together a monster summer on the 16U EYBL circuit. He finished top 10 in scoring at 20.4 points per game, led the circuit in rebounding at 11.9 per game and tied for the lead in blocks at 2.8 per game.
He also shot 55.4% from the field, 48.6% from beyond the arc and 75.0% at the foul line. For AB Elite, he helped push the team to the Peach Jam semifinals, where he averaged 17.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
Berrouet’s summer wasn’t just impressive on the AAU circuit. He also turned heads at the U16 EuroBasket in Romania, where he won MVP honors after averaging 23.6 points, 15.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 blocks per game.
His most eye-catching line came against Czechia, when he posted 33 points and 22 rebounds, one of only three 30-20 performances in the event’s history. Berrouet powered Latvia to a 7-0 record and the first U16 title in the country’s history.
He also took part in USA Basketball’s Final Four minicamp, the Nike Elite 100 camp and the NBAPA Top 100 camp during the spring and summer.
Berrouet’s background is a little different from the usual recruit profile. He has Latvian roots through his mother’s side of the family, but he grew up in McKinney, Texas, and spent his first two high school seasons at McKinney Boyd High School. He’s now at Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas, for his junior year, where he’ll face a much tougher slate of national prep competition.
Illinois will get a firsthand look soon enough. The visit is on the calendar, and Berrouet’s recruitment is shaping up to be one worth tracking closely.
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