Illinois Target Alex Constanza Reopens Recruitment

Back in November 2025, Illinois officially lost out on class of 2026 wing Alex Constanza, as the No. 52 recruit (per 247Sports) signed on the dotted line with Georgetown. But on Wednesday, in the wake of a 16-18 season for the Hoyas, Constanza elected to reopen his recruitment, per Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Georgetown commit Alex Constanza is reopening his recruitment, his agency @RocNationSports told @Rivals. https://t.co/qOAiL094ww pic.twitter.com/PgSaqfTarm
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 15, 2026

And with the Illini on the heels of a Final Four run and in the midst of gearing up for what they hope will be another, perhaps it wouldn’t take much to coax Constanza to Champaign. Now that the pieces are beginning to fall into place for Illinois, however, another question is worth asking: Is Constanza even still a fit?

But first, a quick breakdown of Constanza as a player:

Alex Constanza scouting report

An ultra-smooth operator, Constanza is a player whose game is built on fluidity. He’s athletic, though not extremely twitchy. He can glide all the way to the basket or into a midrange pull-up. A 6-foot-8 wing, Costanza has the size to shoot over any defender – and he can do so in a variety of ways – or finish at the rim.

Costanza is listed at just 205 pounds, but he has a wiry-strong frame that he uses to bounce defenders before finishing through them or getting off a floater around the hoop. A true three-level scorer, he can fill it up from deep – off the catch and the bounce – in the midrange or at the cup.

Defensively, he has the combination of length and athleticism to not just keep opponents in front of him but also be an impact defender in help-side. Finally, he’s an underrated passer who makes the right reads in the halfcourt and is willing to toss the hit-aheads in transition.

Should Illinois pursue Alex Constanza?

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Illini are running mighty low on open roster spots. With Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks now in the fold, only one open slot remains – and Illinois still hopes to fill it with Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell.

David Mirkovic has already announced his return, and Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis all followed suit only hours after Wednesday evening. Andrej Stojakovic may elect to take the NBA route, but running it back in Champaign appears to be the more likely scenario.

It remains possible that another Illini will hit the portal before the window closes on April 21, but at this point, it would be a mild shock if another transfer followed guard Mihailo Petrovic and forward Toni Bilic along the road out of Champaign. With that in mind, coach Brad Underwood will have to give a lot of thought to the idea of actively chasing Constanza without knowing if he has a roster spot available.

But if there are any changes in the coming days and weeks, Constanza could instantly fly up the priority list, as his top attributes – positional size and shooting – are dream fits for the Illini. And especially if Stojakovic decides to depart for the next level, Illinois would be in need of a wing, and in that hypothetical scenario, Constanza may become the target.

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