Illinois Freshman Brandon Lee Draws Lofty Comparison From Brad Underwood

Somewhere between the excitement surrounding transfer portal activity and overseas recruiting, Illinois’ top-rated high school prospect has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. Brandon Lee, a New Jersey native who was tabbed the No. 123 prospect in his class according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, is one of just three true freshmen on the Illini roster recruited out of high school (Keaton Wagler and Blake Fagbemi are the others).

🟠 Newcomer First Look 🔵
Brandon Lee
San Juan, Puerto Rico
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) July 31, 2025

And although Wagler has dominated summer and fall headlines as a recruit set to outplay his amateur ranking (No. 260 recruit in the country), Lee has also impressed ahead of his freshman season – even drawing a big-time comparison from head coach Brad Underwood.

Brad Underwood finds a familiar comp for Brandon Lee

“Brandon Lee, the last few days, has reminded me of Andres Feliz,” Underwood said. "Big, strong, physical, just downhill – and he’s an elite finisher."

Feliz, who became an Illini fan favorite playing just two years in Champaign, suited up for Illinois during Underwood’s second and third years at the helm, helping kick-start the program’s turnaround. In his last season – 2019-20 – the sturdy 6-foot-2 guard Feliz put together a versatile stat line of 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Feliz was known as a two-way contributor and as a pesky on-ball defender – a trademark of guards during the early part of Underwood’s tenure. And along with that driving ability, a similar, Feliz-like defensive tenacity has been identified in Lee.

“Well, he’s taken a tremendous amount of pride in the defensive side," Underwood said. "He’s strong. He’s got a great body. He’s a great, great competitor. He’s got that hot switch that runs where he’s ultra-competitive. But then, as a downhill driver… he’s just tough. You can’t knock him off his spot. And he’s got an uncanny Eurostep. He’s got a nice touch. He’s got the ability to get it over. And then he’s been a career 84-85 percent free-throw shooter."

Shooting, in fact, is what should determine whether Lee is able to truly set himself apart. With a proven jumper – unlike Feliz – Lee will have a chance to grow into a dynamic all-around scorer for Illinois.

Most importantly, according to Lee himself, he has the drive and self-belief to stand out on both ends:

“I bring a dog’s mentality," Lee said on Thursday at Illinois’ media day. "I feel like, on the defensive side, I’m always going to try and get a stop every time. And then, offensively, I can score. And, obviously, I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win."

#Illini freshman Brandon Lee brings a dog mentality to the floor:

"I'm always going to try and get a stop every time." pic.twitter.com/UPPREW0Hyk
— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) October 2, 2025