Good Morning, Illini Nation: Updating 2025 recruiting board (2024)

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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large:

The spring AAU season is complete. Top prospects are returning to their high school teams for June. Now seems like as good a time as any to update Illinois’ 2025 recruiting board.

Illinois has one committed player in the Class of 2025. Joliet native Jeremiah Fears is the standard bearer, a 6-foot-3 guard ranked anywhere from 15th to 52nd in his class. Fears, of course, is playing this week in Buenos Aires for Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup along with Illini big man Morez Johnson Jr.

Here’s who else Illinois has at least offered in the 2025 class to get a feel for how the Illini staff is approaching high school recruiting:

• Markell Alston, 6-2, 180, PG; Christ The King (N.Y.)
• Dietrich Richardson, 6-6, 175, PG; Peoria Manual
• Tyler Jackson, 6-2, 153, PG; Overtime Elite
• Chance Mallory, 5-10, 170, PG; St. Anne’s-Belfield School (Va.)
• Jalen Reece, 5-10, 155, PG; Oak Ridge (Fla.)
• Demarco Johnson, 6-2, 155, PG; Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.)
• Azavier Robinson, 6-0, 165, PG; Lawrence North (Ind.)
• Jordan Vick, 5-11, 160, PG; Word of God Christian Academy (N.C.) —East Carolina
• Darryn Peterson, 6-5, 195, SG; Huntington Prep (W.Va.)
• Meleek Thomas, 6-3, 175, SG; Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Pa.)
• Brayden Burries, 6-4, 200, SG; Eleanor Roosevelt (Calif.)
• Jerry Easter, 6-3, 200, SG; La Lumiere School (Ind.)
• Shon Abaev, 6-7, 196, SG; Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.)
• Kiyan Anthony, 6-5, 185, SG; Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.)
• BJ Davis-Ray, 6-6, 187, SG; Duncanville (Texas)
• Dante Allen, 6-3, 210, SG; Montverde Academy (Fla.)
• Jayden Forsythe, 6-5, 190, Westtown School (Pa.)
• Melvin Bell, 6-4, 170, SG; La Lumiere School (Ind.)
• Phoenix Gill, 6-2, 175, SG; St. Ignatius
• Dorian Jones, 6-4, 160, SG; Richmond Heights (Ohio)
• Trey McKenney, 6-4, 225, CG; St. Mary’s (Mich.)
• Kaden Maywood, 6-1, 170, CG; Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
• Bryce Heard, 6-5, 187, CG; Homewood-Flossmoor
• Jamarion Batemon, 6-3, 170, CG; Milwaukee Academy of Science (Wis.)
• AJ Dybantsa, 6-9, 200, SF: Utah Prep (Utah)
• Koa Peat, 6-8, 236, SF; Perry (Ariz.)
• Jalen Haralson, 6-6, 205, SF; La Lumiere School (Ind.)
• Nate Ament, 6-9, 170,, SF; Highland School (Va.)
• Will Riley, 6-8, 180, SF; The Phelps School (Pa.)
• Jamier Jones, 6-6, 210, SF; Oak Ridge (Fla.)— Providence
• Nikolas Khamenia, 6-8, 215, SF; Harvard Westlake (Calif.)
• Efeosa Oliogu, 6-5, 222, SF; Overtime Elite
• Jordan Scott, 6-7, 185, SF; South Lakes (Va.)
• Tylis Jordan, 6-9, 195, SF; Shiloh (Ga.)
• Chuck Love, 6-6, 170, SF; La Lumiere School (Ind.)
• Jackson Keith, 6-6, 220, SF; Southern (N.C.)
• Jasir Rencher, 6-5, 195, SF; Archbishop Riordan (Calif.)
• Cam Ward, 6-6, 190, SF; Largo (Md.)
• Aleks Alston, 6-9, 205, SF; Kenwood
• Joshua Lewis, 6-6, 165, SF; Blake (Fla.) — South Florida
• Colt Langdon, 6-7, 205, SF; Millbrook (N.C.)
• Jaylon Dean-Vines, 6-3, 180, SF; Kimball (Texas)
• Ian Miletic, 6-7, 180, SF; Rolling Meadows
• Spencer Ahrens, 6-9, 210, PF; Sunrise Christian (Kan.)
• Sadiq White Jr., 6-8, 180, PF, Myers Park (N.C.) — Syracuse
• Niko Bundalo, 6-11, 195, PF; Western Reserve Academy (Ohio)
• Zymicah Wilkins, 6-8, 215, PF; Christ School (N.C.)
• Silas Barksdale, 6-8, 225, PF; Woodside (Va.)
• Marcus Jackson, 6-7, 210, PF; John Marshall (Va.)
• Nicholas Randall, 6-10, 230, PF; Vashon (Mo.)
• Eric Reibe, 7-0, 235, PF; The Bullis School (Md.)
• EJ Walker, 6-8, 230, PF; Lloyd (Ky.) —South Carolina
• Asher Elson, 6-10, 180, PF; South Shore (N.Y.)
• Andreas Holst, 7-0, 185, PF; Bakken Bears (Denmark)
• Xavion Staton, 7-0, 210, C: Sierra Vista (Nev.)
• Malachi Moreno, 6-11, 210, C; Great Crossing (Ky.)
• Chris Cenac, 6-10, 230, C; Isidore Newman (La.)
• Kai Rogers, 6-10, 240, C; Wauwatosa West (Wis.)
• Tee Bartlett, 6-10, 274, C; Coronado (Nev.)