Next up we look at the top five of Illinois’ 2024 class. The top two of James Brown and Morez Johnson are incredibly close and there is tremendous depth behind them. The top three players on the list all attend St. Rita High School and play with the Meanstreets. Here is the breakdown of the top five, which includes two committed players already. 

James Brown – 2024 – F/C – Meanstreets – St. Rita HS

As one of the more skilled big men in the entire nation with his combination of size, Brown takes the top spot in our 2024 Illinois rankings. His recruitment has continued to heat up with Duke among other blue blood programs joining his long list of offers this summer following a strong year on the EYBL. Brown has tremendous tools for the next level already with his versatile scoring ability, size, and mobility. 

Recruitment: Offers from Arizona State, Duke, Harvard, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Wisconsin,

Morez Johnson – 2024 – PF – Meanstreets – St. Rita HS

While Johnson easily could have come in at the top spot, he lands here at a close second to his high school and grassroots teammate. The physical tools of Johnson give him unlimited upside as he has a tremendous blend of size, length, agility, and ability to run the floor. He is already a highly productive player with his interior defense but ability to switch out onto the perimeter, rebound at a high level, and score around the basket and mid-range. There are few players in the nation with as much upside as the Illini commit. 

Recruitment: Committed to Illinois 

Nojus Indrusaitis – 2024 – SG – Meanstreets – St. Rita HS

With his play over the past few months, the wing guard has started to generate a lot more high major interest and offers for himself. Not only did Indrusaitis have an impressive season with Meanstreets but was also a big piece of the Lithuanian 16U national team who won the FIBA European Championship as he led them in scoring. Indrusaitis has a great combination of positional size, length, and scoring ability that make him such an attractive prospect for the next level.

Recruitment: Offers from DePaul, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, Ole Miss

Cooper Koch – 2024 – PF – Indiana Elite – Peoria Notre Dame HS

It was a big summer for Koch who made his commitment to Iowa in June and then was a part of the Indiana Elite team that won the Adidas 3SSB open championship in July while going 17-1 throughout the season. Even while standing at 6’8”, Koch has such a well-round skill set with his perimeter abilities. Not only does the forward shoot it very well from the outside but can also put the ball on the floor and is a gifted passer. 

Recruitment: Committed to Iowa

Jaheem Webber – 2024 – F/C – Illinois Wolves – Normal Community HS

Webber is one of the imposing players in the entire state of Illinois. At 6’9” with his strength, he is a physical force out on the hardwood. Even with his strength and physicality, Webber has good feet and agility that make him a very unique prospect. He possesses a great ability to finish everything around the basket, is a skilled passing big man, and can hit jumpers all in addition to his shot blocking ability. 

Recruitment: Offers from Bradley, Illinois, State, Southern Illinois