Illinois Lands In-State 2027 Sharpshooter Mason Martin: What Does He Bring?

Illinois’ Brad Underwood is a man who knows what he wants. And his wish list generally consists of two must-haves: positional size and shooting – both of which the latest Illini commit has in spades.

On Friday, Underwood and Illinois received a commitment from class of 2027 in-state wing Mason Martin.

Mason Martin scouting report

Martin, a 6-foot-5 junior who attends Neuqua Valley (Naperville, Illinois), appears to still be growing into his frame. And although he may need to spend some quality time with Illini strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher, his jumper certainly won’t need any polishing.

Martin is a sharpshooter in every sense of the word. Between his balanced base and buttery-smooth one-motion mechanics – not to mention his ultra-quick release and high release point – Martin has a stroke that could scarcely be improved if built in a lab.

But although he thrives in spot-up situations from beyond the arc, Martin has more to his game. He’s not a quick-twitch athlete – at least not right now – nor is he a brute, physical force attacking the cup. But he picks his spots well as a straight-line driver and is also a solid cutter. As most gifted shooters do, Martin has a midrange game to pair with his long-distance ability.

Still, although he may be able to grow into more than just a catch-and-shoot threat at the Big Ten level in time, when he arrives in Champaign – which won’t be until 2027 – Martin figures to begin his career in a spot-up role.

First, however, Martin will likely burn a redshirt in Year 1. He will undoubtedly bulk up his frame in the coming year and change before he shows up to Illinois, but a full year of Big Ten eats and pumping iron with Fletch and Co. should be a game-changer.

Mason Martin’s connection to Illinois target Cole Kelly

Martin is the high school and AAU teammate of 2028 wing Cole Kelly, who is currently tabbed as the No. 38 prospect in his class, per 247Sports. The 6-foot-6 Kelly is a dynamic, well-rounded three-level scorer who figures to be an immediate impact player for a high-major program.

That said, although the notion of pairing Martin and Kelly in the future would surely be enticing to the Illini – and would assure them of a dangerous long-distance attack – Illinois didn’t pursue Martin with the sole intention of luring Kelly.

Martin may take some time to develop, but he undoubtedly has the tools to blossom into a valuable piece of the Illini rotation.

The AAU program behind future (and current) Illini

Congratulations @MasonMartin08 from @NVHS_Basketball on your commitment to @IlliniMBB ‼️#GetBetter #BreakawayBasketball pic.twitter.com/SSyNiED44a
— Breakaway Basketball (@BreakawayBball) January 16, 2026

Martin suits up for Breakaway Basketball, an AAU program that has recently bred a handful of successful college hoopers – specifically marksmen. Current Illini forward Jason Jakstys – who, admittedly, isn’t exactly dynamite from deep – played for Breakaway, as did an upcoming opponent: Minnesota’s Bobby Durkin.