Illinois basketball keeps finding a way to stay in the mix with elite big men, and Dylan Betts gave the program exactly the kind of signal it wants to hear.
Betts, one of the top targets in the class of 2028, was in Champaign this past weekend and took in the football game against Southern Illinois. During that visit, Carson Gourdie of ABC 20 spoke with the 7-foot-3 prospect about where his game is headed, and the answer pointed toward a much more versatile future.
“I’ve been more of a post-up player, but I think as I develop and what I have been doing in practice, I think I can play more outside. Starting to come off pick-and-pops and make a move, make a play, make a decision.”
That matters for Illinois, because Betts isn’t just another traditional big. He’s already known as a post presence, but he’s working to stretch his game beyond the paint and add shooting to his toolkit. That kind of growth fits the direction the program has taken with its frontcourt under Brad Underwood.
Since Kofi Cockburn, Illinois has kept pushing big men toward more than just back-to-the-basket work. Coleman Hawkins was the first to show that route, stretching the floor at 6-foot-10.
After him came Tomislav Ivisic, who is taking 4.8 three-pointers per game and shooting 33.4% from deep. Last season’s Final Four group also featured Zvonimir Ivisic, who attempted 2.7 threes per game, and David Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 forward who put up 4.1 three-point attempts per game and hit 37.5% of them.
For a player like Betts, that’s the kind of environment that makes sense. Illinois has shown it can help big men expand their game, and Betts seems interested in becoming more than just a paint-bound scorer.
The recruiting picture around him is loaded, too. Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue and Kansas are also involved. According to the report from Gourdie, Betts posted 5-6 blocks, 14-15 points per game and 2-3 assists per game last year, and the note from the visit underscored his desire to keep building on the outside.
Illinois isn’t stopping with Betts. The program already has two four-stars committed in the class of 2027, and two five-star visitors, Darius Wabbington and Moussa Kamissoko, were also on campus this past weekend. Adding both would make that class even stronger.
The class of 2028 is shaping up just as aggressively. Along with Betts, five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno visited Champaign this past weekend, and five-star guard Brady Pettigrew is scheduled to visit in early October.
Underwood has Illinois rolling on the recruiting trail, and the talent pipeline coming toward Champaign is starting to look serious.
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During a recent Patriots-Steelers matchup, Jacas came up with a moment that drew attention well beyond the box score when he intercepted a pass from Aaron Rodgers. After the game, Rodgers publicly praised the play as great, which is the kind of quick respect that can matter just as much as the turnover itself. For Illinois, it is another reminder that one of its former players is already carving out a real role against the biggest names in football. [Read more 🡒]