Illinois Basketball Extends Offer to Athletic Center From Class of 2027

Last year, Illinois shot more three-pointers per game (30.1) than any other high-major program in the country. And that figure should hold pretty steady – and possibly climb – in the coming years, as coach Brad Underwood has made it abundantly clear that the Illini are a metrics-based program that prioritizes getting threes up at a high clip. Moreover, he is recruiting with that in mind.

Nevertheless, Illinois still had one valuable contributor who fell into the category of “non-shooter” last season in Morez Johnson Jr. (who transferred to Michigan in the offseason). Clearly, with Johnson’s success, Underwood and his staff are still willing to pursue players who may not possess outside range – hence, a recent offer to the nation’s top big man.

Another player who fits that mold is Caleb Ourigou, a 6-foot-10 center who just received an offer from Illinois on Saturday night, per his X account. The New York native (Woodmere) is rated as the No. 78 player in the country and 10th-best center in his class (2027), according to 247Sports.