Does Illinois Basketball Have Another One-and-Done Prospect in Quentin Coleman?

In the 2025 NBA Draft, Illinois sent two players – Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley – to the league after just one season of college hoops. In the 2026 NBA Draft, the Illini have another projected one-and-done player in Keaton Wagler (who is expected to be taken off the board as a top-10 pick).

Will Brad Underwood and his staff send another one to the pros in the 2027 NBA Draft? With six incoming freshmen – Ethan Brown, Landon Davis, Lucas Morillo, Quentin Coleman and Zavier Zens – Illinois isn’t short on potential options. But there is one who stands out above the rest of the pack as a prime candidate to do the honors: incoming five-star recruit Quentin Coleman.

Why Illinois’ Quentin Coleman is a one-and-done candidate

There are a handful of factors working in Coleman’s favor entering the 2026-27 season. First and foremost: opportunity. The Illini have a need in the backcourt. Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks is expected by some to step into the Keaton Wagler role, but although he is a playmer, he isn’t exactly an on-ball workhorse.

Even if he initiates the offense more often than not, Vaaks will need a running mate. Andrej Stojakovic is an exceptionally gifted player, but he is a wing. Vaaks will need a fellow ball-handling, playmaking guard. In other words, he will need Coleman.

More positives that support Coleman’s next-level hopes: Illinois’ free-flowing offense is meant to resemble an NBA offense. Regular ball-screen action, an emphasis on playing in space and allowing players the freedom to make decisions (rather than a set-driven scheme) – all of it affords Coleman the opportunity to both showcase his ability and learn how to operate in a system likely similar to what he’ll play in if the league comes calling.

Then, the biggie: Coleman can really hoop. Even in a best-case scenario, no one will cement themselves as a one-and-done prospect if they aren't able to flat-out hoop. Coleman can.

Illinois commit Quentin Coleman took home MVP honors at the 2026 Iverson Classic 🔥

Coleman finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/w46LM2spJK
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) May 3, 2026

All recruiting services list Coleman as a shooting guard, but he will almost surely slide into a lead-guard role (similar to Wagler, who was also tabbed as a 2-guard coming out of high school) with the Illini.

At 6-foot-4, Coleman has solid positional size – not to mention positional fluidity (he can play the 1 or 2) – and can shoot the cover off the ball. Underwood is often cited for his strong desire for positional size and shooting, but that's also the dream combination for NBA scouts.

Toss in Coleman’s excellent processing ability, which has flown up the list of priorities for front offices over the past few years, and he already has the major tools necessary to be in the discussion for a quick rise into the pros. And, not for nothing, he's a solid athlete – both vertically and laterally.

Evidently, Coleman has all of the necessary abilities to play in the NBA – and seemingly to do so after just one college season. Whether he ultimately does simply comes down to his production and flashes with Illinois.

Introducing the 2026 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team 🤩

🇺🇸 #USABMU18 pic.twitter.com/yUUus6Tx5F
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) May 27, 2026

But considering everything Coleman has shown over the past few months (notably, he was just named to the Team USA U18 squad), his name being called in the 2027 NBA Draft isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream. Arguably, it's the expectation.

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