Three-Star Forward Zavier Zens Signs With Illinois

In one of the biggest offseason weeks in Illinois basketball history, the players who are set to return from this past season's Final Four squad have mostly outshined the new additions. But that doesn't make Friday's signing of three-star forward Zavier Zens any less important to the Illini's future.

A rugged, 6-foot-7 sharpshooter from Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee), Zens will join the Illini next season after winning three state championships and 88-2 record, including a senior season in which he averaged 23.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists to earn Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball award and Gatorade Player of the Year award.

Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year will wear the Orange and Blue.

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— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 17, 2026

Zavier Zens scouting report

An easy shorthand for Illini fans when considering Zens is to think of him as a potentially more dynamic Jake Davis. Trust us: that isn't faint praise. Davis is, as the nation now knows, a fantastic long-distance shooter – but he also is an unheralded rebounder and defender, and the sort of hoops thinker who cracks a loaded Brad Underwood lineup despite certain physical limitations at the Big Ten level.

Zens checks in at No. 237 nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings, and even if it's highly unlikely that the Illini have found another Keaton Wagler-level diamond in the rough, Underwood and his staff have made a habit of plucking overlooked values who also make excellent fits in Illinois' system from the recruiting trail.

Zens is strong, reasonably athletic and can score at every level – including three-point range, where he knocked down 42 percent of his attempts as a senior. And Underwood is as excited about his intangibles as his evident production.

"Zavier, first and foremost, is a winner," Underwood said in a release announcing Zens' signing. "He is an extremely high-IQ player who has been well coached and brings a championship pedigree to the table, winning three straight state titles. He fits our recruiting mold as a 6-foot-7 versatile wing who can score at all three levels and process the game."

How Zens fits at Illinois in the short and long term

For now, when Zens isn't putting in practice reps or being put through his paces by Illini strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher, he figures to be doing a lot of observing from the sideline. He could have chosen a smaller program – Zens' other biggest option outside Illinois was Wisconsin, but he was also offered by Colorado State, Utah State, Northern Iowa and Miami (Ohio), among others – and likely would have earned solid playing time, and possibly even started.

Instead, Zens can expect to play short minutes (and maybe even redshirt) as a freshman, while Davis himself, as well as a combination of Andrej Stojakovic, Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks and possibly freshman Lucas Morillo eat up most, if not all, of the minutes at small forward.

But over the long haul, Zens appears to be the kind of player who eventually can thrive as a super-sub and possible starter in Underwood's scheme. He's sturdy, has decent positional size and isn't afraid to be physical, which would seem to check the boxes for rebounding and defense. And although his shooting mechanics need polish and it's unclear how he'll adjust to getting his shot off against Big Ten defenders, his three-point shooting will also undoubtedly be a plus.

Zens' ceiling, however, will ultimately be decided by the rest of his offensive game. Can he continue to win post-up opportunities? Will his dribble-drive game translate to the next level? Is he merely a smart, accurate passer or a next-level creator? It may be a year or two before Illini fans learn the answers to those questions, but bare minimum, it seems clear that Underwood landed yet another future high-quality reserve whose abilities will amplify Illinois' system, and vice versa.

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