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Just hours after sophomore guard Brandon Lee entered the college basketball transfer portal yesterday, the Illinois Fighting Illini announced Sunday afternoon that guard Quentin Coleman has signed to play with the school next season.
From Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, Coleman originally signed with Wake Forest before seeking and getting his release. Coleman officially committed to the Illini on Friday, April 3rd, the day before the Illini's Final Four game against UCONN.
Coleman was just elevated to five-star status, making him Illinois' second highest-rated recruit in the composite rankings era, ahead of Morez Johnson Jr. and behind only Will Riley, a testament to just how amazing the Illini have been recruiting in recent seasons. Of course, Illinois landed Riley in July of 2024 after the Canadian forward reclassified, thus skipping his senior season of high school. Johnson committed to the Illini way back in 2021, when he was a sophomore in high school at St. Rita. Riley and Johnson only lasted one season in Champaign, with Will off to the NBA and Morez transferring to Michigan, where he just won a national championship.
Illinois has signed five freshman for next season, with the two recent signings of Coleman on Sunday and forward Zavier Zens on Friday a byproduct of the Final Four run. Illinois is also adding guard/forward Lucas Morillo, guard Ethan Brown and forward Landon Davis, with those high school recruits having signed back in November.
I am not going to pretend to know much about Coleman's game, though he is expected to compete for a starting spot as a freshman. It will be interesting to see how Coleman and the other Illini freshman fit in with this experienced team next season. Coleman and Morillo figure to be parts of the rotation, with Brown apparently someone the coaching staff really likes. Davis and Zens may be more developmental pieces in 2026-27.
Zens had an interesting interview with the Armchair Illini podcast yesterday, stating that he chose Illinois as he felt it was the best school to develop him during the next four years. I am actually very excited about Zens, who seems to have a good head on his shoulders and understands that his development will be a process, though he is looking to compete and have an impact next season. The 6'9'' Davis is not getting as much publicity, which should be quite motivating for the incoming freshman from Iowa.
Of course, there are only so many minutes to go around. Getting these freshmen to acclimate to and carry on the program's very healthy culture at the moment is especially crucial.
Historically, Illinois has had many incoming classes of four high school players, with five high school kids not as common. From my research, the Illini last had five high school freshmen arrive on campus in 2013, which was Jon Groce's second season as the Illinois Head Coach. That class included guards Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate and Malcolm Hill, and forwards Austin Colbert and Maverick Morgan. By this group's senior seasons, I was not even watching Illinois basketball, with Hill, Morgan and Tate staying all four years but never making the NCAA Tournament. Hill was the best player in this class, and it is a shame he never got to play in March Madness.
Prior to the last season in Champaign for Bruce Weber, the Illini brought in six high school recruits in 2011, including Nnanna Egwu, Tracy Abrams, Mike Shaw, Mycheal Henry, Devin Langford and Ibrahima Djimde. Egwu was the best player in that class while the tough-as-nails Abrams was hampered by injuries. Shaw eventually ended up at West Virginia and Henry at DePaul. Langford and Djimde hardly contributed, though Djimde did provide nice spot minutes against Robert Sacre during a memorable Illini victory against Gonzaga in December of 2011.
Weber also brought in five high school players in 2007, in the form of Demetri McCamey, Bill Cole, Mike Tisdale, Jeffrey Jordan (as a preferred walked on) and Mike Davis. Originally a USC commit, Quinton Watkins also signed with the Illini but never enrolled for academic reasons, from what I can remember. Of course, the 2007 class was supposed to include Eric Gordon, who bailed on the Illini for Indiana. Overall, the 2007 class was one of the more frustrating groups to watch with the talented but inconsistent McCamey at the point, though the unheralded Davis turned out to be a very solid player by the end of his career. The same goes for Tisdale and Cole, though this group was the beginning of the decline with the Illini basketball program after a glorious run from 2000 to 2006.
Of course, the Illini's 2002 recruiting class of Deron Williams, Dee Brown, James Augustine, Aaron Spears and Kyle Wilson first comes to mind when I think of five freshmen stepping on campus at the same time. Williams, Brown and Augustine were instant starters who led the Illini to the national championship game in 2005. The big man Spears had talent but transferred to St. John's after his sophomore season. I always wished Spears would have stayed one more season as Illinois could have used his body to bang with Sean May during the title game. The homesick Wilson left Illinois after his freshman season, transferring down to Wichita State, where he started on a Sweet Sixteen team during the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
I believe Illinois also had a five-man freshmen class after the 1998 season. Technically, Cory Bradford was a redshirt freshman who was not eligible to play in 1997-1998, though I lump him in with this 1998 class. That year, the Illini added one of my favorite groups of players, including Lucas Johnson, Damir Krupalija, Robert Archibald and Fess Hawkins, who technically was a sophomore, even though he didn't play for Illinois or in college the season before. Every one of those players played all four seasons at Illinois, except for Hawkins, who was released from his scholarship after one season in Champaign. Frank Williams was also a part of the 1998 freshmen class, though he had to sit out a year for academic reasons as well. Technically, the 1998 class was only four players, though I consider it a five-member class.
I could go back farther in time, but it would be disingenuous as I was not really following Illinois basketball prior to the 1996-97 season.
With all this in mind, how will the 2026 Illini class compare to these other classes of at least five freshmen?
Time will tell as college basketball is a much different game than it used to be, though I am hoping this group can stick around together for at least two years. Of course, transfers will likely be inevitable, but if three of these players can become contributing upperclassmen with the Illini, that should be a good sign as Head Coach Brad Underwood will continue to add internationally, in the portal and through high school to supplement his upcoming rosters.
From Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, Coleman originally signed with Wake Forest before seeking and getting his release. Coleman officially committed to the Illini on Friday, April 3rd, the day before the Illini's Final Four game against UCONN.
Coleman was just elevated to five-star status, making him Illinois' second highest-rated recruit in the composite rankings era, ahead of Morez Johnson Jr. and behind only Will Riley, a testament to just how amazing the Illini have been recruiting in recent seasons. Of course, Illinois landed Riley in July of 2024 after the Canadian forward reclassified, thus skipping his senior season of high school. Johnson committed to the Illini way back in 2021, when he was a sophomore in high school at St. Rita. Riley and Johnson only lasted one season in Champaign, with Will off to the NBA and Morez transferring to Michigan, where he just won a national championship.
Illinois has signed five freshman for next season, with the two recent signings of Coleman on Sunday and forward Zavier Zens on Friday a byproduct of the Final Four run. Illinois is also adding guard/forward Lucas Morillo, guard Ethan Brown and forward Landon Davis, with those high school recruits having signed back in November.
I am not going to pretend to know much about Coleman's game, though he is expected to compete for a starting spot as a freshman. It will be interesting to see how Coleman and the other Illini freshman fit in with this experienced team next season. Coleman and Morillo figure to be parts of the rotation, with Brown apparently someone the coaching staff really likes. Davis and Zens may be more developmental pieces in 2026-27.
Zens had an interesting interview with the Armchair Illini podcast yesterday, stating that he chose Illinois as he felt it was the best school to develop him during the next four years. I am actually very excited about Zens, who seems to have a good head on his shoulders and understands that his development will be a process, though he is looking to compete and have an impact next season. The 6'9'' Davis is not getting as much publicity, which should be quite motivating for the incoming freshman from Iowa.
Of course, there are only so many minutes to go around. Getting these freshmen to acclimate to and carry on the program's very healthy culture at the moment is especially crucial.
Historically, Illinois has had many incoming classes of four high school players, with five high school kids not as common. From my research, the Illini last had five high school freshmen arrive on campus in 2013, which was Jon Groce's second season as the Illinois Head Coach. That class included guards Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate and Malcolm Hill, and forwards Austin Colbert and Maverick Morgan. By this group's senior seasons, I was not even watching Illinois basketball, with Hill, Morgan and Tate staying all four years but never making the NCAA Tournament. Hill was the best player in this class, and it is a shame he never got to play in March Madness.
Prior to the last season in Champaign for Bruce Weber, the Illini brought in six high school recruits in 2011, including Nnanna Egwu, Tracy Abrams, Mike Shaw, Mycheal Henry, Devin Langford and Ibrahima Djimde. Egwu was the best player in that class while the tough-as-nails Abrams was hampered by injuries. Shaw eventually ended up at West Virginia and Henry at DePaul. Langford and Djimde hardly contributed, though Djimde did provide nice spot minutes against Robert Sacre during a memorable Illini victory against Gonzaga in December of 2011.
Weber also brought in five high school players in 2007, in the form of Demetri McCamey, Bill Cole, Mike Tisdale, Jeffrey Jordan (as a preferred walked on) and Mike Davis. Originally a USC commit, Quinton Watkins also signed with the Illini but never enrolled for academic reasons, from what I can remember. Of course, the 2007 class was supposed to include Eric Gordon, who bailed on the Illini for Indiana. Overall, the 2007 class was one of the more frustrating groups to watch with the talented but inconsistent McCamey at the point, though the unheralded Davis turned out to be a very solid player by the end of his career. The same goes for Tisdale and Cole, though this group was the beginning of the decline with the Illini basketball program after a glorious run from 2000 to 2006.
Of course, the Illini's 2002 recruiting class of Deron Williams, Dee Brown, James Augustine, Aaron Spears and Kyle Wilson first comes to mind when I think of five freshmen stepping on campus at the same time. Williams, Brown and Augustine were instant starters who led the Illini to the national championship game in 2005. The big man Spears had talent but transferred to St. John's after his sophomore season. I always wished Spears would have stayed one more season as Illinois could have used his body to bang with Sean May during the title game. The homesick Wilson left Illinois after his freshman season, transferring down to Wichita State, where he started on a Sweet Sixteen team during the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
I believe Illinois also had a five-man freshmen class after the 1998 season. Technically, Cory Bradford was a redshirt freshman who was not eligible to play in 1997-1998, though I lump him in with this 1998 class. That year, the Illini added one of my favorite groups of players, including Lucas Johnson, Damir Krupalija, Robert Archibald and Fess Hawkins, who technically was a sophomore, even though he didn't play for Illinois or in college the season before. Every one of those players played all four seasons at Illinois, except for Hawkins, who was released from his scholarship after one season in Champaign. Frank Williams was also a part of the 1998 freshmen class, though he had to sit out a year for academic reasons as well. Technically, the 1998 class was only four players, though I consider it a five-member class.
I could go back farther in time, but it would be disingenuous as I was not really following Illinois basketball prior to the 1996-97 season.
With all this in mind, how will the 2026 Illini class compare to these other classes of at least five freshmen?
Time will tell as college basketball is a much different game than it used to be, though I am hoping this group can stick around together for at least two years. Of course, transfers will likely be inevitable, but if three of these players can become contributing upperclassmen with the Illini, that should be a good sign as Head Coach Brad Underwood will continue to add internationally, in the portal and through high school to supplement his upcoming rosters.
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