247Sports upgraded Illinois basketball commits Mason Martin and Quinton Kitt to four stars in the updated 2027 rankings. The in-state duo — a sharpshooter from Naperville and a versatile wing from East Peoria — give Brad Underwood a strong foundation for his 2027 class.
It appears the outlook for Illinois' 2027 basketball recruiting class has gotten brighter.
247 Sports updated their 2027 recruiting rankings on Thursday, and in their latest update both 2027 Illini commits Mason Martin and Quinton Kitt were upgraded to four-star status.
Mason Martin is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville who committed to Illinois in January 2026, just one month after being offered by head coach Brad Underwood. Illinois was Martin's first high-major offer and it did not take long for Martin to jump on board.
Martin is also the teammate of another Illini target, Cole Kelly from the 2028 class. Together they play both at high school and at the AAU level. Illinois was notably the tallest team in the country last season and it's Martin's size and shooting acumen that makes him a no-brainer target for Brad Underwood and his staff.
Quinton Kitt was the first commit for Illinois in the 2027 class. A 6-foot-6, 205-pound forward out of East Peoria High School, Kitt was one of the top players in the state of Illinois. He recently announced he will play in Kansas for his senior season.
Kitt chose Illinois over some other very impressive offers including Michigan, Iowa, and Northwestern. The decision was celebrated because of his upbringing in Peoria, where some of the most memorable Illini basketball teams have had contributors from.
With two freshly minted four-star prospects, Illinois is in strong position to once again have a top national recruiting class. The fact that both commits are from within the state is just an added bonus. Martin being from Naperville and Kitt being from East Peoria represents Illinois continuing to keep the best in-state talent at home. Both cited Illinois as being their "dream school," reflecting the university is becoming a destination school for the country's top players.
Illinois has become one of the best early evaluators in the country as of late. They were able to get little-known 3-star Keaton Wagler to commit in 2025 and he ended up becoming one of the best stories in all of college basketball. Wagler is expected to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Illinois is still expected to add more talent in the 2027 class, they are still in pursuit of Warren Township guard Jaxson Davis. But with Brad Underwood's constantly changing roster, it is not quite known just how big the 2027 class will eventually become.
It is expected Andrej Stojakovic, Jake Davis, Tomislav Ivisic, and Zvonimir Ivisic will all be playing their final seasons in Champaign, but newly acquired sophomore Stefan Vaaks has shown he has NBA-Draft potential, as well as freshman phenom Quentin Coleman.
Last season Illinois made a magical run all the way to the Final Four, before losing to UConn. They bring back most of their roster and will be one of the favorites next season to win the national championship.
The 2027 class for Illinois is still in it's forming stages but thus far it looks like Brad Underwood is on his way to bring in more top-talent to Champaign.
