It was a pretty dismal week for the Illinois Basketball staff and Illini fans. Top 2019 targets Kahlil Whitney and Terrence Shannon Jr. both announced commitments to other programs, leaving Illinois still looking for its first commit in the upcoming class.
Both of these misses sting, but Whitney’s decision to play for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats might hurt just a hair more. Whitney has been a priority for Underwood & Co. since they arrived in Champaign. The Illini felt like major players in his recruitment, but the last month and a half saw a tremendous rise in Whitney’s stock, welcoming some new players to the game.