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BREAKING: 2017 point guard Da'Monte Williams commits to Illinois

The four-star legacy recruit could be a program-changer for the Illini.

By Jim Vainisi

Huge news just broke for Fighting Illini Basketball. During halftime of Sunday night's game against Minnesota, four-star point guard Da'Monte Williams (Peoria, IL) took to Twitter to announce his verbal commitment to the program. The six-foot-three, 180-pound prospect had other scholarship offers from the likes of Kansas and Indiana.

According to 247Sports, Williams is ranked as the No. 46 overall recruit and No. 11 point guard in the class-of-2017.

The Peoria Manual star is also the son of Illini great Frank Williams, who played in Champaign from 1999-2002 and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2001. He's also a member of Illinois' All-Century Team.

Highlights

Williams is the second class-of-2017 player that's committed to the Illini, joining three-star wing Javon Pickett (Belleville, IL). This latest development should only help John Groce's pursuit of five-star center/forward Jeremiah Tilmon. The East St. Louis native (now playing at La Lumiere Prep in Indiana) had this to say about Williams' commitment:

"I feel like it helps a lot. People are going to be expecting me to commit too," Tilmon laughed. "He's a real good player. I like his game. He's a dog on the court. I feel like playing at Illinois is going to help them with me a lot."

Tilmon is ranked as the No. 18 overall player by 247Sports; he has other scholarship offers from North Carolina, Kansas, and Michigan State. Landing the state's top prospect certainly won't be an easy task for the Orange and Blue, but the coaching staff has put themselves in a great position ahead of a crucial Summer recruiting period.

2017 Illinois Basketball Recruiting Class