UNC Recruiting: Jeremiah Tilmon requests release from Illinois
John Groce is out at Illinois and Jeremiah Tilmon has requested his release from the school. Does North Carolina have a shot to land the four-star big man?
Three weeks ago, John Groce was fired by the University of Illinois and replaced by former Oklahoma State head coach Brad Underwood.
Although Groce had very little success on the basketball court, going just 95-75 in five seasons with the Illini, his success on the recruiting trail was just starting to materialize.
His 2017 recruiting class included three four-star players and a three-star player, and ranked 11th in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.
In the weeks since his hiring, it was believed that Underwood had been able to retain each of the four recruits committed to the school. By the time the 2017-18 season comes around, though, it’s unlikely that Illinois’ basketball team will look quite like he and the fans had anticipated.
Top-50 senior Jeremiah Tilmon wants release from Illinois commitment https://t.co/VUu9GdUw1R
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 5, 2017
Less than a month after the change at head coach, 2017 commit Jeremiah Tilmon has requested his release from the school. Given the circumstances, he should get it, and more than likely will.
But once his release is granted, where will he go?
Before Tilmon committed to Illinois, he announced a top-five that included Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina and Texas, along with the Illini.
Tilmon is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward with good hands, great size and terrific defensive presence. He’s got a 7-foot-2 wingspan and lots of potential on the offensive end, though he will have to refine his game and develop some true post moves.
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With a pedigree like that, he isn’t likely to get turned down by any of the schools formerly recruiting him.
But could there be a wildcard in his recruitment that wasn’t formerly there?
After the Tigers hired former California head coach Cuonzo Martin and received a commitment from Michael Porter, Jr., rumors about Tilmon’s interest in Missouri began to swirl. The Tigers certainly have the roster space and the available minutes to offer the talented big man.
On the other hand, North Carolina was very high on Tilmon’s list, at one point. As it turns out, they, too, have quite a bit to offer him.
The Tar Heels lose senior big men Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks and freshman Tony Bradley has announced his intent to declare for the NBA Draft. It’s also extremely likely that junior wing Justin Jackson has seen his final game in a North Carolina uniform.
And although the Tar Heels do have front court reinforcements coming in 2017, Tilmon has the skill and athleticism to see a lot of minutes next season.
Can the Tar Heels snag a last-second commitment from Tilmon, fresh off their national championship victory?
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Stick with Keeping It Heel for future updates on Tilmon and all things UNC recruiting.