Illinois basketball has spent years trying to get a foothold in the five-star game. Now Brad Underwood has the program positioned to chase not just one elite prospect, but two at once.
That’s the kind of shift that changes how a program is viewed. For roughly two decades, landing a five-star recruit was a rarity in Champaign.
Illinois was often fighting just to get into the top 100 conversation, and the results showed it. The Illini lived in bubble territory far too often.
Underwood altered that reality. Illinois’ six highest-rated recruits since the early 2000s have all arrived during his tenure, and the five-star breakthrough finally came in 2024 with Will Riley. Quentin Coleman followed and is set to take the floor this winter as another five-star addition.
Even with those recent wins, Illinois is still pushing for something bigger in the class of 2027. Two official visits are already on the board: NaVorro Bowman Jr. on September 10 and Darius Wabbington on October 23. Both are five-stars.
Bowman Jr. checks in as the No. 11 player in the country and the class’ top combo guard. Wabbington ranks No. 15 nationally and is the No. 4 center in the class. One is a backcourt engine, the other a frontcourt presence, and together they’d give Illinois a serious shot at building around two elite pieces.
Riley’s arrival was a breakthrough. Coleman’s signing reinforced it.
But Bowman Jr. and Wabbington would push Illinois into another category entirely. It would mean four five-star commitments across the last four recruiting classes, and that kind of run would put the Illini near the top of the national recruiting board.
That matters because the on-court profile is already rising. Illinois made the Elite Eight three seasons ago and reached the Final Four last season.
Heading into 2026-27, the Illini are projected to be a top-five team in the country. If Underwood can add two more five-stars on top of that, the program would be operating in a different stratosphere.
The timing also lines up with a major roster reset. After the 2026-27 season, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Jake Davis, and Zvonimir Ivisic are all expected to move on. David Mirkovic, Stefan Vaaks, and Quentin Coleman are projected to head to the NBA.
That leaves a huge opening for the next wave. Bowman Jr. and Wabbington could walk into a roster with real opportunity and immediately be asked to lead.
Bowman Jr. would anchor the backcourt. Wabbington would handle the paint.
Freshmen leaning on each other, each carrying a different end of the floor.
A possible lineup of Bowman, Quinton Kitt, Lucas Morillo, Zavier Zens, and Wabbington would be young, but it would also be loaded with upside. And with Underwood, there’s always the transfer portal layer to consider.
For Illinois, the next few months could reshape the conversation entirely. These two visits are already scheduled, and if both five-stars end up in orange and blue, the Illini won’t just be trying to keep up with the big boys anymore. They’ll be one of them.
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