Illinois Basketball Offers Five-Star 2028 Center Dylan Betts

The Illini are one of the early contenders for Betts – a huge, fluid big man who should make an instant impact wherever he lands

Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood walks down the court during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Illinois continues to remain quite active in the high school recruiting ranks – and across all positions. Over the course of the past month, coach Brad Underwood and his staff have extended offers to a variety of recruits, ranging from a 6-foot lead guard to a 7-foot-3 center – and everything in between. The latest is the latter, 2028 recruit Dylan Betts.

blessed to receive an offer from @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/ZcLH6baTsn

— Dylan Betts (@DylanBetts51) June 16, 2026

Who is 2028 prospect Dylan Betts?

Listed as the No. 15 player in his class and the No. 6 center in the country, Betts is a five-star recruit in the class of 2028 (per 247Sports’ composite rankings). He holds at least 10 Division I offers. Unsurprisingly, Purdue – which has built a reputation for landing (and developing) elite 7-footers in the Matt Painter era – offered Betts over a year ago.

UCLA, which won the 2026 national title in women’s basketball behind All-American center Lauren Betts and freshman forward Sienna Betts (Dylan’s sisters), has also offered Betts. He currently attends IMG Academy in Florida.

Dylan Betts scouting report

There isn't much questioning Betts’ physical traits. At 7-foot-3, he has great size and exceptional length. As might be expected, Betts is a shot eraser on defense and a constant lob threat on offense, plus an excellent rebounder.

But his fluidity at his size may be even more impressive than the size itself – and it pays off in every facet of the game. Betts is able to run the floor, keep opposing players in front if switched on to wings or guards, and dominate the boards on both ends.

The cherry on top: Betts has a buttery-smooth lefty stroke from deep. His ability to knock down long-range jumpers stretches out defenses and creates driving opportunities for his teammates.

The future is scary when you’re 7’3” and only a sophomore 😮‍💨🔥 5⭐️ Dylan Betts pulled up to NBPA Top 100 Camp and showed out 🚨@DylanBetts51 @Top100Camp @TheNBPA pic.twitter.com/Ho4a9BRPdp

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) June 15, 2026

Still, given his size, Betts is at his best on the interior. He has soft touch and can get to his baby hook at will – or just take advantage of his size to create an angle before using the glass for an easy layup at the rim.

How would Dylan Betts fit at Illinois?

Betts’ ability to step out beyond the arc would give him a chance to play a massive role as a freshman at Illinois (which wouldn’t be until 2028-29). His shot-blocking, play-finishing and rebounding would all but ensure that he made an impact in his minutes, but if his jumper is also a legitimate weapon in Year 1, he will be dominant.

In Illinois’ five-out scheme, Betts – and, more importantly, the Illini as a team – could flourish if he were pulling opposing bigs outside (think of what Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic’s jumpers currently do for Illinois’ offense). And defensively, Betts could offer that Big Z-esque impact in terms of deterring opponents from even attempting shots in the lane.

And if Betts' back-to-the-basket game blossoms in the two-plus years before his first college game, he very well could have offense run through him – even as a freshman. But given today’s roster fluidity, it’s impossible to predict Betts’ specific theoretical role in Champaign in 2028. Regardless of the roster makeup at Betts’ college destination – be it Illinois or elsewhere – that program should be getting a high-impact player from the jump.