NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 2020 classes prior to spring

12. Illinois Fighting Illini (3 commits)

Average Class Ranking: 13.0

Illinois has been making substantial strides under head coach Brad Underwood and that was evident during this past season. The Fighting Illini entered the campaign with high expectations of reaching the NCAA Tournament and they would have achieved that had the final dance not been canceled due to the coronavirus. Looking ahead to the future, Illinois is losing a bunch of talent but also has more highly-regarded recruits joining the fray.

Local product Adam Miller is the most notable of this group as an elite off-guard. It will be nearly impossible to replace Ayo Dosunmu but Miller will be tasked with filling that void. He is ranked as the No. 33/30 overall player in the class and is a dynamic offensive threat. Although he only stands at 6-foot-3, Miller can fill it up from beyond the arc and uses his athleticism to get to the basket and finish as well.

It is also important to mention that Coach Underwood snagged a backcourt running mate for him as well with Andre Curbelo. Out of LuHi from New York, Curbelo is one of the top playmakers in the 2020 class. He is ranked at No. 55/43 in the class and is very creative with his passing ability. Curbelo sees the floor extremely well and probes the inside to create passing lanes adeptly.

The class is finished off with Coleman Hawkins as a 6-foot-10 forward. He is slotted at No. 157/138 in the class and is an excellent passer for his size. The offense can run through him even if he is not a scoring threat because his vision and ability as a passer is outstanding. Although not all that highly-rated by recruiting services, he is super intriguing as a skillful big.