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Illinois Basketball Offers a Pair of Intriguing East Coast Guards

The Illini have offered Lucas Morillo (class of 2026), a skilled combo guard, and Anderson Diaz (class of 2027), a shifty lead guard

Jackson Langendorf

Feb 22, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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With the offseason in full swing and Illinois’ rotation for the upcoming season nearly entirely locked down, coach Brad Underwood and his crew have quickly pivoted to high school recruiting.

In the past couple of days, the Illini have offered a pair of guards from the northeast – one from the class of 2026 and the other a member of the class of 2027.

On Sunday, it was Boston combo guard Lucas Morillo – who announced his offer via X. The 6-foot-6 senior suits up for City Rocks on the EYBL Circuit and is fresh off an excellent weekend in which he showcased his entire skill set.

A three-level scorer, Morillo can score in a variety of ways. He's a solid shooter and a respectable spot-up threat with a true pull-up. Still, he prefers to do his work around the basket, where he has tremendous touch with both hands. Crafty getting downhill and an excellent cutter, Morillo lives at the rack, and plays well off two feet.

Figuring the only thing better than one East Coast guard is two, the Illini quickly extended an offer to Anderson Diaz, a New York point guard ranked 54th in the cClass of 2027 by 247 Sports.

Diaz is twitchy and keeps the ball on a string, allowing him to get downhill almost at will, often leaving defenders stuck behind in quicksand. He also has a smooth lefty stroke, as well as quick hands on the defensive end.

With assistant coach Orlando Antigua’s proven track record in the Northeast (especially the New York area), the Illini may already have a leg up in the race for both Morillo and Diaz.

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024. He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.

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