Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Illinois Lands Four-Star Recruit Lucas Morillo: A Perfect Fit for the Illini

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jackson Langendorf | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 4:38 PM ET

In the Brad Underwood era, Illinois has built a reputation as one of the best recruiting programs in the country. But in the past few years, Underwood and his staff have shifted their scope of focus from the typical, predominantly U.S.-based high school prospect lens to an internationally driven recruiting process.

Illinois lands 2026 recruit Lucas Morillo

Although it may feel like the Illini have been focusing solely on overseas prospects over the past two years, they’re still clearly not shying away from players in the States. In the class of 2026, Illinois already had made two additions – and on Friday the program may have landed its crown jewel of the class: 6-foot-7 wing Lucas Morillo.

The nation’s No. 50 recruit (247Sports’ composite rankings), Morillo is a highly touted, uber-talented recruit. A Dominican Republic native who plays his high school ball at The Newman School in Boston, Massachusetts, Morillo picked Illinois over Marquette, Texas, UCLA, Minnesota and Virginia.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Lucas Morillo has committed to Illinois, he tells @Rivals. The 6-6 point guard is the No. 32 overall recruit in the 2026 class, per Rivals. https://t.co/GL3ur3x1AK pic.twitter.com/tnsEhoBuRj
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) October 24, 2025

In Morillo, the Illini get a foundational piece for their future. A prototypical Underwood target, Morillo is a Swiss Army Knife with an extremely versatile skill set. A do-it-all player, Morillo can score at all three levels and is an excellent facilitator from just about anywhere on the floor.

What sets Morillo apart is his ability to seamlessly fit at any position on the floor. His touch allows him to thrive around the hoop and play bigger than 6-foot-7, while his vision and ball-handling make him a legitimate option at point guard.

Morillo is likely best positioned on the wing as a shooting guard or small forward, but considering Illinois’ largely positionless scheme, it doesn’t matter exactly where Morillo is slotted. He will be able to suit up alongside any combination of personnel, and will allow Underwood to put together lineups that will likely create a handful of mismatches.

Also, with the Illini putting an emphasis on grab-and-gos in defensive rebounding situations, Morillo will be yet another option as a high-volume rebounder that can immediately head the transition offense as the primary ball-handler.

Few high school prospects better fit Illinois’ style of play than Morillo, and fortunately for the Illini, he just so happens to be an elite talent. Even in the transfer portal era of college basketball – which often leads to true freshmen struggling to find minutes on veteran-laden rosters – expect Morillo to be a Day 1 contributor when he arrives in Champaign next year.

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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