Illinois Basketball Sets Visit With Four-Star Big Man: Who Is Sinan Huan?

Coach Brad Underwood and Illinois are not slowing down on the recruiting trail, as the Illini have lined up a visit with 2026 big man Sinan Huan for this Friday, per Huan’s 247Sports recruiting page. (Top-25 recruit Cameron Holmes is also set to visit this weekend.) Here’s what to know about Huan:

Background

A native of China, Huan came to the United States in 2022 and attended Windermere Prep in Florida before transferring to Georgetown Preparatory School in Maryland.

A 7-foot, 225-pound prospect, Huan is tabbed as a four-star center and the No. 71 player in the country (247Sports’ composite rankings). On the AAU circuit, Huan suits up for Team Durant – a Maryland-based program.

Scouting report

A player who has been steadily progressing, Huan has recently blossomed – although he still lives inside the paint. He finishes exceptionally well with both hands but prefers to get to his dominant left hand whenever possible.

Playing with Team Durant this summer, Huan began showcasing a more diverse game around the rim, displaying a baby hook, a drop step and even a post-up fadeaway. Still, his jumper is very much a work in progress, but his form is encouraging.

A great athlete at his size, Huan has some surprising bounce, but his lateral agility is his most impressive trait. At times, though, he can be prone to standing up too high defensively (a common issue for bigs in high school) and often gets blown by in those situations. But he does a fantastic job of working himself back into plays, usually chasing down drivers and erasing shots.

As a defender in the post, Huan walls up well and consistently stays down, simply taking advantage of his size and length to deter shots at an excellent clip. In help side, Huan has remarkable anticipation, making him a constant shot-blocking threat anytime he’s on the floor.

Sinan Huan had 6 blocks only in the first half 🤯#FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/BDrPAB05UX
— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) June 28, 2025

At his size, Huan has a fairly slim frame, which is sometimes a disadvantage in rebounding situations – specifically on the defensive glass. But as an offensive rebounder, Huan is certainly a plus, using that combination of anticipation and length to clean up any misses from his teammates.

Although he may be far from a finished product, Huan has all of the baseline tools (size, touch, footwork and athleticism) to become a high-impact – and perhaps even dominant – college player in the future.

Recruiting competition

The usual suspects in any 7-footer's recruitment – Purdue and coach Matt Painter – have already managed to get Huan on campus (a Sept. 5 visit), and they appear to be the frontrunner thus far. Huan's other offers include Alabama, Creighton, Florida and Mississippi State.