Five-Star Darius Wabbington Chooses Indiana Over Illinois

Five-star prospect Darius Wabbington was heavily recruited by Illinois, but he announced his commitment to Indiana today. He will join the Hoosiers for the 2027-28 season.

Wabbington chose Indiana over recent college basketball powerhouse programs Arizona and Illinois. Both Arizona and Illinois made the Final Four last season, but neither was able to land one of the best players in the 2027 class. Wabbington is from Arizona and currently attends Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, so it comes as a surprise to me that he chose Indiana over his in-state school.

The Arizona native stands at 6-foot-11 and could have been the next great big man to play for Tommy Lloyd. He is ranked as the No. 2 center and No. 12 overall player in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports.

Arizona was Wabbington's final visit a weekend ago, and he canceled every other planned visit besides Illinois and Indiana. He visited Indiana the first weekend in September, Illinois the weekend of September 19 and Arizona the weekend of September 25. The Illini and Wildcats both received visits from Wabbington, but neither did enough to win out over the Hoosiers.

Indiana has not experienced the same level of team success as Illinois and Arizona, but Wabbington likely sees a clear path to the starting lineup. Second-year head coach Darian DeVries was unable to lead the Hoosiers to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2023, but Indiana is in position to make it this season with the expanded field.

It is unclear what the Hoosiers' roster will look like following this season, but Wabbington should have an opportunity to step into the starting lineup immediately and become a key contributor. There may have been some concerns about his role at Illinois next season if David Mirkovic returns for his third season of college basketball.

Mirkovic is projected to be one of the best players in college basketball this season but is not currently high on many NBA mock drafts. Wabbington and Mirkovic are similar players in that they both have great size and can handle the ball like a guard. The Illini would likely still look to Mirkovic to initiate the offense as their big man rather than Wabbington if he decides to stay for another season.

Illinois has done a phenomenal job of getting guards to the NBA, but the staff is still looking for its first big man to make it to the league. Wabbington could have potentially been that player if he decided to come to Champaign, but he ultimately decided Indiana was the best fit for him.

The Illini staff now has some work to do to replace Zvonimir Ivisic, Tomislav Ivisic and potentially Mirkovic next season. Wabbington would have been a perfect piece to help replace the twins at the center position, but the staff will now need to pivot to someone else.

Europe is always an option at the center position, as evidenced by the three big men currently leading the frontcourt, but the staff also has some high school recruits it can continue to pursue.

Bentley Lusakueno is one prep recruit to watch, as he visited Illinois the same weekend as Wabbington. He is a 6-foot-10 power forward in the 2028 class, but he has been taking official visits this fall, indicating that he will likely reclassify to 2027. He is ranked as the No. 1 power forward in the 2028 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Dylan Betts is another player to watch in the 2028 class. He took an unofficial visit to Illinois this fall, and his sister is dating Mirkovic. He will likely remain in the 2028 class, but the 7-foot-3 center is a top-10 player in the class and would be a great addition for the Illini.

It is disappointing that Illinois was unable to land another five-star recruit and reload its frontcourt for next season. This marks the second five-star prospect to commit elsewhere this fall, but the Illini staff should be able to pivot quickly, as it has done so many times before.