Fighting Illini basketball has finally added a big man to their 2017 recruiting class. Three-star forward Greg Eboigbodin (MI) announced a verbal commitment to Illinois on Tuesday night, picking the program over another scholarship offer from Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pound prospect is a former Illinois-Chicago signee, and he’s rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.
Excited to announce my commitment to the University of Illinois #fightingIllini #BIG10 pic.twitter.com/AIJ3oUnvLm
— GREG RY® (@gregorymike004) June 6, 2017
New Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman recruited the Detroit native to the Flames in November, however he requested a release from his National Letter of Intent in April. Speaking of Coleman, Eboigbodin informed Illini Inquirer that this prior relationship played a big role in his commitment.
"The coaches -- they're really experienced. Coach Underwood has a winning culture. And then Coach Coleman is someone I'm very familiar with. The staff is just loaded. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.”
Eboigbodin likely won’t make an immediate impact on the scale of a player like, say, Jeremiah Tilmon, but his athleticism and frame give hope for contributions in the future.
But regardless of whether or not Eboigbodin is ready for the physicality of Big Ten basketball, we can pretty much pencil his name into the rotation right now. Michael Finke and Leron Black are Illinois’ only other players listed above 6-foot-7, and although four guards will be on the court for a majority of the time, there are still minutes to be had on the block.
Moving forward, Illinois still has three roster openings for the 2016-17 season. Eboigbodin is the fourth member of the recruiting class as he joins four-star guards Mark Smith (IL), Trent Frazier (FL), and DaMonte Williams (IL).