Illinois Basketball's 2026 Recruiting Class Taking Shape: Are Concerns Warranted?

The Illini's first two verbal commitments of the season rank outside the top 150, but Illini fans needn't worry. Here's why:

Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Illinois’ fan base has grown accustomed to coach Brad Underwood and his staff bringing aboard some of college basketball's top prospects. Since Underwood took over in March of 2017, he has landed a pair of five-star recruits in Will Riley (class of 2024) and Ayo Dosunmu (class of 2018), along with a plethora of top-50 prospects, including both Morez Johnson Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis in 2024.

The precedent has been set. Illinois attracts the country’s – and the world’s – top talent and then develops those players before sending them off to the league. Right?

Well, given the current status of the Illini's class of 2026 – which includes guard Ethan Brown and forward Landon Davis, neither of whom rank among the top 150 in their class – it seems Underwood isn't setting the bar as high as he once had. Keep in mind, this also follows up a class of 2025 high school haul that included just one top-100 recruit in guard Brandon Lee (No. 97).

I am blessed to say I am committing to the University of Illinois #AGTG

Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. pic.twitter.com/j6tpkyV9Ve

— Landon_Davis (@landonmdavis16) August 6, 2025

But fear not, Illini fans, because there’s no reason to fret. Here’s why:

International recruiting

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) controls the ball against Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Jakucionis, Riley and Tomislav Ivisic didn’t verbally pledge to Illinois until May (Jakucionis and Ivisic) and late June (Riley) of 2024. This year, the Illini added both David Mirkovic and Mihailo Petrovic in April. Underwood has shown zero signs of straying from his international path, which means Illinois will be in the hunt for top overseas talent again – but perhaps not until spring of next year.

Ethan Brown and Landon Davis

Waukee Northwest's Landon Davis (30) shoots a free throw on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Based purely on rankings, Brown and Davis aren’t the typical decorated talents that have recently been attracted to Champaign, but they both offer a combination highly coveted by Underwood: positional size and shooting. Brown and Davis – albeit playing different positions – fit the Illini scheme perfectly. And although both have athletic limitations that may limit their ceilings, Illinois has a solution for that: strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher. Both Brown and Davis may need time to develop, but each will have the opportunity to blossom into productive rotation pieces – and perhaps more.

Top prospects are pushing back commitment dates

The point has been driven into the ground, but it's an important reminder here: Top college basketball prospects are committing later. To put it into perspective, only three class of 2026 players in the top 25 have committed so far, and just five in the top 50. Between lingering, unresolved NIL changes and the presence of the transfer portal, the best recruits have been waiting until the last minute to make their decisions. Although there is no guarantee that Underwood and his staff will add a top-50 recruit either during the season, or even after it, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

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