It seems Illinois’ pursuit of four-star wing Jordan Goodwin has taken a drastic turn as of late. Recent rumors of a major push by Travis Ford and the St. Louis Bilikens were seemingly confirmed Thursday by KSDK’s Frank Cusumano on the Tay and J Show (1:48:00 mark). Cusumano cited the hiring of new assistant Corey Tate as the catalyst behind this ‘change of heart’ while mentioning that a commitment could come as early as Friday or Monday.
Fans of @SLU_Billikens I believe are going to get some great news about the best basketball player in STL, Jordan Goodwin, soon. @KSDKSports
— Frank Cusumano (@Frank_Cusumano) August 11, 2016
Additionally, Illini Inquirer’s Derek Piper reported that Goodwin has gone into "stealth mode" since the end of his AAU season last month; he hasn’t spoken to any college coaches in at least two weeks. So it’s not hard to put two and two together here — this recruitment isn’t exactly favoring the Orange and Blue anymore.
Goodwin is Illinois’ top remaining target, and the coaching staff has been pursuing him for almost two years. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward narrowed his list to Illinois, St. Louis, Northwestern, Missouri, Butler, Alabama, and Creighton on July 26.
Illinois’ ‘Plan B’ options don’t appear all that realistic anymore, either, because of how much the coaches have been prioritizing Goodwin. So if John Groce can’t manage to get Goodwin on campus for an official visit, it could be a little while until more alternatives materialize. Although one potential prospect could be four-star wing Abu Kigab (FL), who recently included the Fighting Illini in his top six; the California native is the No. 90 overall player in the country.
Jordan Goodwin Highlights