Four-Star Recruit Compared to Shaquille O'Neal Includes Illinois in Top Seven

The Illini are in the thick of the race for Marcis Ponder, a 6-foot-11, 328-pound center from Virginia

Nov 23, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during the first half against the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

For a few weeks, it felt like Illinois was in the market only for shooters. At every position, 1 through 5, the Illini were in the hunt for long-range snipers. But over the past few weeks, coach Brad Underwood and his staff have targeted more than one traditional, low-block big.

One of them, Marcis Ponder, is a rising senior from Virginia – a mammoth of a young man who stands at 6-foot-11 and weighs 328 pounds yet has the feet of a ballet dancer.

With his size, frame and agility, Ponder seems to dunk everything. Not surprisingly, he has drawn many comparisons to NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. A class of 2026 prospect, Ponder is the No. 84 player in the nation and ninth-rated center according to 247Sports.

And on Tuesday night, Ponder cut his list of possible destination schools to seven – and included Illinois among them. The other six: Miami, Indiana, Providence, Florida State, Texas and Cincinnati.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Marcis Ponder, a 7-foot center in the 2026 class, is down to seven schools, he tells @Rivals.

The Top-75 overall recruit discusses his finalists: https://t.co/cxPikxaisN pic.twitter.com/77sa6ZW4sU

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 16, 2025

The Illini – who offered Ponder back in May 2023 – have been involved in his recruitment from the jump. Illinois has yet to bring Ponder on campus for a visit, but expect Underwood and his crew to try to put that process in motion in the coming weeks and months. 

Although the Illini appear poised to employ a five-out offensive style in this upcoming campaign, they apparently haven't altogether abandoned the idea of lineups and sets featuring a more traditional big man. That vision, in this case, is clear: Ponder living on the block, surrounded by four knockdown shooters on the perimeter.

The last time Illinois had such a scheme as its go-to offense? When former All-American center Kofi Cockburn was still in Champaign – a situation that worked out pretty well for the Illini.

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