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:
Bryce Hopkins is set to announce his commitment at 6:30 p.m. today. His original top nine is down to a top five — at least per his dad. Hopkins was set to narrow his list a month ago but had a “change of plans” because he had “too many great schools” in the mix.
Clyde Hopkins told the New York Times/Forbes Sports’ Adam Zagoria that his son “felt the most comfortable” with Kentucky, Indiana, Providence, Michigan and … Illinois. The Illini are thus still in the mix for the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward ranked as a consensus four-star recruit and as high as No. 30 in the class.
Kentucky remains the apparent frontrunner at this point, however. Every 247Sports Crystal Ball and Rivals FutureCast pick favors the Wildcats. It would then really be an October surprise if Illinois winds up the winner. Of course, to quote former colleague Marcus Jackson, it’s 50-50. Hopkins either commits to the Illini or he doesn’t.
So happens next in those scenarios?
If it’s a yes to Illinois … Brad Underwood will have secured a top two in-state recruit also ranked in the top 40 nationally for the third time in four years following successful recruitments of Ayo Dosunmu in 2018 and Adam Miller in 2020. The only miss was in 2019, with E.J. Liddell winding up at Ohio State rather than Champaign. A commitment from Hopkins could also let Illinois further put the full court press on four-star center Mac Etienne, who reportedly won’t commit until the spring. Still, a class with Hopkins and Luke Goode is a good foundation.
If it’s a no to Illinois … then the full court press to Etienne still has to happen. In theory, the 6-10 center might be an even more important target. There’s certainly no guarantee Kofi Cockburn will pull a Dosunmu and make it three years in C-U. If Cockburn leaves after this season, it means a serious hole a center that current backups Jermaine Hamlin nor Brandon Lieb are unlikely to fill. But Illinois clearly still wants some extra help on the wing. The recruiting focus in a post-Hopkins world would shift to guys like Wesley Cardet Jr. and brand new targets R.J. Melendez and Mustapha Amzil. It’s been six months since Goode committed. Illinois could use some good news on the recruiting front with the early signing period right around the corner.
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