Illinois' Zavier Zens Showcases College Readiness in Newcomer Highlights

The final edition of Illinois’ summer classic, the “Newcomer First Look," was released on Thursday, starring freshman wing Zavier Zens. As always, the usual disclaimer applies: These are highlights – all of which have come months before the Illini season opener. So although we won’t put much stock in them, there are bits to glean from them. Here are the key takeaways:

What we learned from Zavier Zens’ newcomer first-look highlights

The scouting report on Zens: He’s a hard close. In all but one of the clips, Zens is knocking down a catch-and-shoot 3. He has a crisp, compact jumper and a well-balanced base. But none of this is new (Zens shot 42 percent from long distance as a senior).

Also of note, though: None of those shooting highlights came from 5-on-0 action (which was the case for many of his fellow newcomers' clips). All of Zens’ 3s were made in live, 5-on-5 play. In other words, it's more likely that he can carry over his high-level shooting into college (especially early on), meaning that he should have the ability to be a floor spacer for the Illini from Day 1 – assuming he gets minutes.

🟠 Newcomer First Look 🔵
Zavier Zens
No. 22
Milwaukee, Wis. pic.twitter.com/7HU1zKv946
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) August 21, 2026

His lone bucket inside the arc was very impressive, though. Zens was on the low block, gave freshman forward Landon Davis an up-fake, stepped through, turned into the start of a fadeaway jumper before stepping through yet again for a wide-open layup. It featured a patient, instinctive array of moves that showcased Zens’ creativity and poise.

Back in high school, Zens displayed a versatile skill set. He was an effective straight-line driver, often utilizing his size, athleticism and strength to get to the rack. Zens could obviously shoot. And, frequently overlooked, he was a effective facilitator (4.4 assists). The only seemingly obvious area for improvement: rebounding (he averaged just 5.4 boards per game).

But the Illini, who have stars upon stars, don’t need Zens to do it all. If he cracks the rotation in 2026-27, he’ll be pigeonholed into a specific role – one that, based on what we can gather from the highlights above, he should be more than ready for.

Serving primarily as a spot-up shooter next season would be Zens’ calling card, but even sharpshooters have other tasks. Can Zens hold his own on the boards? How quickly will he internalize Illinois’ defensive concepts – and does he have enough lateral athleticism to keep opposing wings in front?

With his winning track record and his “extremely high IQ” (per Illini coach Brad Underwood himself), there is no reason to believe Zens can’t do it all. But as is always the case with freshmen, only time will tell.

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