It’s going to get better for Illinois basketball. Illini fans might have a hard time realizing that now just hours after another signature recruit ripped their heart out, but it’s true. If there’s solace in hitting rock bottom, it’s knowing there’s nowhere to go but up.
Illinois lost yet another top basketball recruit, but better days are coming
Jeremiah Tilmon’s decommitment is another crushing blow for Illinois, but there’s reason to believe the future will be brighter.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Jeremiah Tilmon made the decision Illini fans had been fearing for months on Wednesday afternoon. He requested a release from his letter of intent and reopened his recruitment, potentially robbing Illinois of its highest rated recruit since Bill Self brought Dee Brown to campus back in 2002.
Tilmon hasn’t completely ruled out re-committing to the Illini, but it doesn’t seem likely at this point. Since giving his verbal commitment in July of 2016, there’s been constant uncertainty about whether the 6’10 center would land in Champaign. At first, Illini fans were worried about Travis Ford and Saint Louis nabbing him. Now the favorite appears to be Cuonzo Martin and Missouri, where Tilmon could join No. 1 overall recruit Michael Porter Jr.
Getting Tilmon was a big deal for John Groce last summer. He picked Illinois over offers from North Carolina and Kansas, and projected as an instant starter in the front court. He’s no longer considered a five-star recruit, but at No. 29 in 247 Sports’ class of 2017 rankings, he’d tie Jereme Richmond as Illinois’ best get since the Self era.
Illinois knew it was putting Tilmon’s commitment at risk when it fired head coach John Groce last month, but the athletic department had little choice after he missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year. That’s the program’s most futile streak since the 1970s.
What makes Tilmon’s decision particularly painful for Illinois is that this seems to happen all the time. Not that we need to remind Illinois fans, but:
- 2007: Eric Gordon was originally committed to Illinois, but eventually flipped to Indiana.
- 2014: Quentin Snider picked the Illini as the No. 28 player in his class at the time, according to ESPN. He’d reopen his recruitment months later and pick Louisville.
- 2014: Who could forget Cliff Alexander’s hat trick? Not these folks.
This does not include Jon Scheyer, Jalen Brunson, Sherron Collins, or a number of other recruits the Illini seemingly finished second for. Yes, it’s been a rough 10 years in Champaign. The hope for Illinois is that Tilmon’s decommitment can be the bookend to that period and serve as the unofficial springboard to a brighter future.
Brad Underwood knows how to coach. In his lone year at Oklahoma State, he brought the Cowboys from 12-20 to 20-13 and made them the most efficient offense in the country. This comes on the heels of an impressive three-year run at Stephen F. Austin, where he won the Southland every season and pulled a pair of upsets in the NCAA tournament.
When Illinois opened the checkbook to steal Underwood away from Stillwater, it showed the athletic department was serious about winning. That was only reinforced on Wednesday when the hiring of assistant coach Orlando Antigua was announced.
Antigua comes with a reputation for getting things done. He was John Calipari’s right-hand man for six years, playing a pivotal role in recruiting John Wall, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, and many more. He left to become head coach South Florida in 2014 and was fired in January amid a 23-55 record and allegations of academic fraud.
It feels like Illinois would have stayed away from someone with Antigua’s profile in years past, but Underwood didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. It’s a signal that Illinois is back in the game: ready to compete on the recruiting trail and determined to turn around a once-proud program that couldn’t catch a break over the last decade.
The sting left from Tilmon’s decommitment is a feeling that’s entirely too familiar for Illinois. The fan base badly wants a winner, and this counts as another crushing blow in the near-term. But there’s reason to believe this can be the end of it, that Antigua can help get players and Underwood can coach them up.
It’s been a while since Illini basketball was nationally relevant, but Underwood and Antigua, along with holdover assistant Jamal Walker, look like a formidable trio for the future. Losing Tilmon’s commitment is a tough blow, but things will get better for Illinois soon.
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