Is Incoming Freshman Brandon Lee a Hidden X-Factor for Illinois Next Season?

The attention lies elsewhere in Champaign, but a recent performance suggests Lee may force his way into Illinois' plans sooner rather than later

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; An Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleader performs prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Illinois will be sending a pair of players into the first round of the upcoming June NBA Draft. The program has overhauled its roster for the second straight season, as coach Brad Underwood has drawn headlines for his focus on international talent while attempting to correct for last season's lack of experience. Even an area that appeared to be a weakness – the portal – saw the delivery of one of the offseason's top transfers in Cal guard Andrej Stojakovic to Champaign.

Freshmen? Who needs 'em.

As it turns out, even if the Illini don't need their incoming class of 2025 high school recruits right away, at least one of them recently demonstrated that he might be ready to crash the party immediately.

Four-star recruit Brandon Lee – a shooting guard from Hillside, New Jersey, and the top-ranked player in the state – was invited to the 2025 Iverson Classic, which is taking place from May 1-3. Although Lee is a fringe top-100 player according to the leading high school basketball recruiting rankings (No. 107, per 247 Sports' composite), he showed Thursday that he may have been sold short.

Participating in the 24K Showcase Game at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, Lee scored 26 points on 12-for-23 shooting for Team Bubba Chuck in a 118-108 win over Team Answer. Lee led all scorers save for one – teammate Jaylen Petty, who had 33 (and eight threes) to win the game MVP and earn a spot in the All-American game featuring top-shelf prospects such as Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament and Darius Acuff.

But the performance from Lee, whose only other high-major offer came from Mississippi State, demonstrated that he may be an under-the-radar asset for the Illini as soon as next season.

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It wasn't a wake-up call so much as a confirmation that he belonged, as Lee outshone higher-rated recruits such as Kareem Stagg (a Georgia commit) and Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State) in Thursday's run.

"Because I'm playing with a lot of great players," Lee said in an Iverson Classic afterwards. "You know, get used to playing with everybody that's going high-major into good schools."

Get used to it, kid. Lee will have Stojakovic and Illini veterans Kylan Boswell and Ty Rodgers, among others, to contend with for playing time after he arrives in Champaign. But after Thursday's showing, his prospects of early success in that challenge seem quite a bit brighter.

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