Illinois basketball has been navigating the new recruiting landscape quite well the last half-decade.

With the transfer portal being so prevalent, coaching staffs have had to put more time and attention into players looking for a new home. However, the Illini coaching staff has done a great job balancing both the transfer portal and potential incoming freshmen.

I believe the Illinois basketball team can pull in a top-10 recruiting class for 2025. We already have one player committed, and there are quite a few options left on the board.

I know that Jeremiah Fears is already committed to the Illinois basketball program. He is a great get, but with so much power in the hands of the players, coaches need to keep on commits until they get into the building and suit up.

Fears is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound combo guard from Compass Prep out in Arizona. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 44 player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 7 combo guard in the country and the No. 2 player coming out of Arizona.

Arizona didn’t always house this talented guard. He is originally from Joliet, Illinois, and he currently plays for the Indy Heat AAU program.

Fears is currently averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game this summer. These are numbers of someone who isn’t just a solid player, but of someone who is entering his senior season as one of the best players in the nation.

Illinois is going to have to continue to fight for Fears. He is a solid commitment, and there hasn’t been any wavering, but you better believe teams are going to back up the Brinks truck in hopes of prying him away from Champaign.

The Illini coaching staff went and watched him this past weekend play basketball for the Indy Heat. They know how valuable Fears is to the future of this program.