Illinois Hosts Class of 2026 Guard Ethan Brown on Official Visit: What to Know

Illinois is Brown’s lone high-major offer

Although Brown made a visit to Iowa on July 16, he has yet to pick up an offer from the Hawkeyes and first-year head coach Ben McCollum. His six other offers come from mid-major schools – the majority of which compete in the Missouri Valley Conference.

What it all means

It could be argued that the Illini are in prime position to land Brown, who was lined up for a campus visit in a swift manner and so far has no other Power Four offer. But there’s a key caveat: his route to playing time in Champaign is murky.

Although he’s certainly a talented shooter, Brown doesn’t currently possess the athleticism necessary to play big minutes at the Big Ten level. Although there’s no question he would have an opportunity to develop into a solid player at Illinois, he would be more likely to play right away at a mid-major program.

Yet the Big Ten is always an enticing draw, as is winning at the highest level – something the Illini have had nailed down for some time now.

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