Illinois basketball has yet to land a commitment for the class of 2023, but there are some interesting options still on the table.
Landing a solid forward who can do everything on the basketball court is something the Illini are always interested in. They have that right now with Coleman Hawkins, but Hawkins will graduate here in a couple of years and we need a replacement for him.
That is why the recruitment of Amani Hansberry is so important. He is a 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward from Mount Saint Joseph High School in Washington, D.C. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 128 player in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 26 power forward in the nation and the No. 4 player coming out of D.C.
Illinois has been eyeing Hansberry for a while now. An offer back in early February was followed up by an official visit to Champaign in late June. But the Illini haven’t been on the only team interested in the talented forward.
Boston College, Penn State, and Virginia Tech all have received an official visit from Hansberry. He just scheduled an official visit this weekend to Miami (FL) as well. So, this recruitment will not be an easy one for Illinois to win.
Illinois basketball knows Amani Hansberry is the real deal for the class of 2023.
The vibes I am getting right now with the Hansberry recruitment is that Illinois is in the lead for him. I wouldn’t put too much stock into 247Sports predicting Penn State because those predictions were months ago.
I believe Hansberry is doing the right thing by taking more official visits, though. He has a chance to, essentially, travel the country and get the royal treatment. I don’t blame him one bit for taking in all of the information and the praise for the talent he brings to the basketball court. And this summer showed just how much talent Hansberry really has.
Hansberry suited up for Team Durant in the Nike EYBL over the past few months, and his stock has done nothing but rise in this time.
Team Durant would go 4-1 in the EYBL Peach Jam this past week, and this notched them one of the top spots in the Peach Jam bracket. After taking down Team Final in the first round, Team Durant would get upended by Team Takeover to get to the championship game.
Hansberry was a major reason Team Durant went 5-2 overall and made it to the Final 4 of the Peach Jam. He would finish the Peach Jam averaging 26.6 minutes and dropping 16.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He also made the Peach Jam first team.
Nike EYBL Peach Jam: 1st Team🥇
Amani Hansberry // Team Durant (MD)
STATS: 16.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.6 APG
READ 👇🏾https://t.co/gZ0cEvA1mD @igb_Amani @teamdurant_AAU pic.twitter.com/jf7WSgUMzA
— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) July 26, 2022
These are some big-time numbers, but they shouldn’t surprise anyone. Hansberry has been a talented player for quite some time. His game is really fun to watch.
I love Hansberry’s game inside of 15 feet. He has sweet touch on his shot, and he can post up, which is a skill that is rare to find at the high school level. When I watch Hansberry play, he reminds me of a slightly smaller version of Al Horford.
Hopefully, Illinois can continue being one of the top teams for Hansberry. He would be a great addition to the Illinois frontcourt and someone who could help us win a lot of games.
