Illinois Basketball Offers No. 1 Power Forward Benjamin Berrouet

It was announced on Friday that Brad Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff officially offered 2028 recruit Benjamin Berrouet.

“Blessed to receive a Division I offer from the University of Illinois. #AGTG,” Berrouet said on X (@benjiberrouet10).

Berrouet is from Dallas, Texas, and attended McKinney Boyd High School last year. He helped lead the Broncos to a 22-12 record while averaging an impressive 20.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. In March, he announced that he would be transferring to Dynamic Prep for his junior season.

Dynamic Prep, located in Irving, Texas, is one of the top prep programs in the country. It was founded by former NBA player Jermaine O'Neal in 2022 and competes nationally in the Overtime Elite circuit as "FaZE." The move will give Berrouet the opportunity to play alongside some of the nation's top high school prospects.

Berrouet is listed as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and a five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2028. He is currently ranked as the No. 1 power forward in the country and the No. 14 overall prospect in the class according to the Composite. Berrouet has continued to climb the rankings while adding scholarship offers following an impressive AAU season.

The Dallas native plays for the Dallas-based AAU program AB Elite, which was founded by NBA guard Anthony Black. AB Elite competes on the EYBL circuit and finished 3-2 in group play at the 16U Peach Jam in Georgia.

During the EYBL regular season, Berrouet ranked fifth in the league in scoring at 22.3 points per game. He also led the league in rebounding at 11.3 rebounds per game and finished fourth in blocks with 2.2 per contest. At Peach Jam, he is averaging 18.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 52.5% from the field.

At 6-foot-7, Berrouet would be an intriguing addition for an Illinois program that will likely need to replace several frontcourt pieces in the coming years. Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic will no longer be on the roster next season, while David Mirkovic could also be gone following a breakout sophomore campaign. The Illini have several young players in the frontcourt and will likely continue to recruit internationally to replenish their depth, but Berrouet would fit seamlessly into the rotation in two seasons.

Berrouet is a high-IQ player who excels as a passer and playmaker. He also keeps Illinois' recent Eastern European connection alive, as he is a citizen of Latvia. He represented Latvia at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, where he averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game.

Illinois will face stiff competition as Berrouet's recruitment continues to heat up. This summer alone, he has picked up offers from Illinois, Cal, Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Baylor, USC, Texas A&M, and UCLA.

Berrouet still has two years of high school remaining, so his recruitment is far from over, but Illinois is firmly in the mix. The Illini have built a reputation for landing many of the prospects they prioritize, making this a recruitment worth watching. If he were to commit, Berrouet would become the highest-rated recruit in Illinois history in the 247Sports era with a Composite rating of .9953, narrowly surpassing Will Riley's .9951.