Good Morning, Illini Nation: 247Sports recruiting rankings update
Sep. 15—Welcome to "Good Morning, Illini Nation," your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He'll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood's team:
Illinois' Class of 2024 commits both moved up in the latest 247Sports recruiting rankings update, with Thornton's Morez Johnson Jr. climbing to No. 35 nationally and Yorkville's Jason Jakstys debuting at No. 111.
Here's a look at how Illinois' 2024-26 recruiting targets are ranked following the latest round of updates (committed or otherwise in a full look at who the Illini value):
Class of 2024
No. 3 Ace Bailey, 6-8, SF, McEachern (Ga.) — RUTGERS
No. 5 Tre Johnson, 6-6, SG, Link Academy (Mo.)
No. 11 Isaiah Evans, 6-6, SF, North Mecklenburg (N.C.) — DUKE
No. 13 Asa Newell, 6-9, PF, Montverde Academy (Fla.)
No. 14 Karter Knox, 6-5, SF, Overtime Elite
No. 15 Liam McNeeley, 6-7, SF, Montverde Acadmey (Fla.)
No. 16 Kon Knueppel, 6-5, SF, Wisconsin Lutheran (Wis.)
No. 18 Jason Asemota, 6-8, SF, Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.) — BAYLOR
No. 21 Carter Bryant, 6-8, PF, Centennial (Calif.) — ARIZONA
No. 23 Jamari Phillips, 6-3, SG, Compass Prep (Ariz.) — ARIZONA
No. 26 Bryson Tucker, 6-6, SF, Bishop O'Connell (Va.)
No. 33 Boogie Fland, 6-2, CG, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.)
No. 35 Morez Johnson, 6-9, C, Thornton — ILLINOIS
No. 36 Jackson McAndrew, 6-9, PF, Wayzata (Minn.) — CREIGHTON
No. 38 John Bol, 7-1, C, Overtime Elite — OLE MISS
No. 42 Isaiah Elohim, 6-5, SF, Sierra Canyon (Calif.)
No. 45 David Castillo, 6-1, CG, Sunrise Christian (Kan.)
No. 48 Rakease Passmore, 6-5, SF, Combine Academy (N.C.)
No. 50 Austin Swartz, 6-4, SG, Cannon School (N.C.) — MIAMI
No. 55 Chase McCarty, 6-5, SF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
No. 57 Peyton Marshall, 7-0, C, Overtime Elite — Missouri
No. 61 Jaiden Glover, 6-6, SF, The Patrick School (N.J.) — ST. JOHN'S
No. 62 Paul McNeil, 6-6, SG, Word of God Christian Academy (N.C.) — N.C. STATE
No. 64 Curtis Givens III, 6-2, PG, Montverde Academy (Fla.)
No. 69 Ryan Jones, 6-8, C, The Rock School (Fla.)
No. 71 Cooper Koch, 6-7, PF, Metamora — IOWA
No. 74 Cole Certa, 6-4, SG, IMG Academy (Fla.) — NOTRE DAME
No. 78 Mikey Lewis, 6-3, CG, Prolific Prep (Calif.)
No. 79 Nojus Indrusaitis, 6-5, SG, Brewster Academy (N.H.) — IOWA STATE
No. 81 Juke Harris, 6-6, SG, Salisburg (N.C.) — WAKE FOREST
No. 82 Darrion Sutton, 6-7, SF, Overtime Elite
No. 83 Trent Perry, 6-4, CG, Harvard Westlake (Calif.)
No. 85 Jahki Howard, 6-6, SF, Overtime Elite
No. 80 Daquan Davis, 6-1, PG, Overtime Elite — PROVIDENCE
No. 91 James Brown, 6-9, C, Link Academy (Mo.) — NORTH CAROLINA
No. 95 Larry Johnson, 6-4, SG, Southern California Academy (Calif.)
No. 98 Jonathan Powell, 6-6, SG, Centerville (Ohio) — XAVIER
No. 103 Jared Harris, 6-2, SG, Silsbee (Texas) — MEMPHIS
No. 111 Jason Jakstys, 6-10, PF, Yorkville — ILLINOIS
No. 123 Josiah Moseley, 6-6, PF, Stony Point (Texas)
No. 126 Malachi Palmer, 6-5, SG, Mt. Zion Prep (Md.)
No. 129 Dallas Thomas, 6-7, PF, Parkview Magnet (Ark.) — CLEMSON
No. 136 Dwayne Pierce, 6-5, SF, Christ The King (N.Y.) — IOWA STATE
No. 141 Jeremiah Johnson, 6-3, PG, PHHoenix Prep (Ariz.)
Class of 2025
No. 2 Darryn Peterson, 6-5, SG, Huntington Prep (W.Va.)
No. 3 Koa Peat, 6-7, PF, Perry (Ariz.)
No. 10 Jalan Haralson, 6-6, CG, La Lumiere School (Ind.)
No. 18 Trey McKenney, 6-4, SF, St. Mary's (Mich.)
No. 22 Niko Bundalo, 6-9, PF, Western Reserve Academy (Ohio)
No. 25 Jerry Easter, 6-3, SG, La Lumiere School (Ind.)
No. 26 Tyler Jackson, 6-2, PG, Overtime Elite
No. 27 Jamier Jones, 6-6, SF, Oak Ridge (Fla.)
No. 29 Efeosa Oliogu, 6-5, SF, Overtime Elite
No. 31 Sadiq White Jr., 6-7, PF, Myers Park (N.C.)
No. 38 Kiyan Anthony, 6-4, SG, Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.)
No. 40 Shon Abaev, 67, SF, Calvary Christian (Fla.)
No. 42 BJ Davis-Ray, 6-6, SG, Duncanville (Texas)
No. 43 Jeremiah Fears, 6-2, CG, Compass Prep (Ariz.)
No. 45 Jordan Scott, 6-7, SF, South Lakes (Va.)
No. 49 Will Riley, 6-7, SF, The Phelps School (Pa.)
No. 51 Nikolas Khamenia, 6-7, PF, Harvard Westlake (Calif.)
No. 55 Chuck Love, 6-6, SF, La Lumiere School (Ind.)
No. 64 Cam Ward, 6-6, PF, Largo (Md.)
No. 66 Jackson Keith, 6-6, SF, Southern (N.C.)
No. 70 Kai Rogers, 6-10, C, Wauwatosa West (Wis.)
No. 83 Bryce Heard, 6-5, CG, Homewood-Flossmoor
No. 86 Jasir Rencher, 6-5, SF, Archbishop Riordan (Calif.)
No. 87 Chance Mallory, 5-9, PG, St. Anne's-Belfield School (Va.)
No. 92 Jalen Reece, 5-10, PG, Oak Ridge (Fla.)
No. 94 Aleks Alston, 6-9, PF, Kenwood Academy
No. 104 Melvin Bell, 6-4, SG, La Lumiere School (Ind.)
No. 105 Marcus Jackson, 6-7, PF, John Marshall (Va.)
No. 108 Kaden Magwood, 6-1, CG, Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
No. 111 Silas Barksdale, 6-8, C, Woodside (Va.)
No. 118 Azavier Robinson, 6-0, PG, Lawrence North (Ind.)
No. 130 Eric Reibe, 7-0, PF, The Bullis School (Md.)
No. 142 Xavion Staton, 7-0, C, Sierra Vista (Nev.)
No. 143 Nicholas Randall, 6-7, PF, Vashon (Mo.)
Class of 2026
No. 12 Alexander Constanza, 6-8, SF, Westminster Academy (Fla.)
No. 16 Chidi Nwigwe, 6-6, SG, Bergen Catholic (N.J.)
No. 22 Qayden Samuels, 6-5, SG, Bishop McNamara (Md.)
No. 25 JJ Andrews, 6-5, SG, Little Rock Christian Academy (Ark.)
No. 26 Brandon Bass Jr., 6-3, SG, Windermere Prep (Fla.)
No. 28 Marcus Johnson, 6-1, PG, Garfield Heights (Ohio)
No. 30 Sinan Huan, 7-0, C, Windermere Prep (Fla.)
No. 36 TJ Crumble, 6-7, SF, Richmond Heights (Ohio)
No. 43 Toni Bryant, 6-9, PF, North Tampa Christian Academy (Fla.)
No. 53 Jonathan Sanderson, 6-2, PG, Saline (Mich.)
