Since coach Brad Underwood arrived at Illinois back in 2017, he has had zero difficulties landing top high school basketball talent. Seven months after Underwood’s introduction as the new Illini head man, he earned the commitment of Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu – a top-30 national recruit and the premier in-state prospect at the time.
Underwood followed that up by landing Kofi Cockburn (No. 54 in the nation) a year later, and he has since brought in Adam Miller (No. 35 in the class of 2020) and Will Riley (No. 20 in 2024), among others.
The ability to spot and then ultimately secure elite talent is arguably Underwood’s premier skill as a college basketball coach. But getting into the mix for top prospects at an early stage, before they’re being drooled over by every program in the country, is what seems to truly set Underwood and his staff apart.
The class of 2026 has been no different, as three Illinois targets recently jumped in 247Sports’ latest rankings – a telltale sign that the Illini continue to be ahead of the curve.
After putting on a show at the NBPA Top-100 camp, Jervis has seen his stock rise tremendously. Sort of a do-it-all guard, Jervis has the ability to handle on-ball duties, but he specializes as a glue guy who can fill in the holes or step into a go-to role when the opportunity arises. His premier skill – as is the case for nearly every Illini target of the moment – is three-point shooting.
The Illini offered Jervis back in March, but thus far he has only scheduled a pair of visits to two Big Ten schools, Northwestern and Rutgers.
Arguably no prospect from the class of 2026 has improved his recent standing more than the smooth-shooting, 6-foot-10 Costello did over the past few weeks. After winning MVP honors at the Pangos All-American Camp, Costello earned a last-minute invite to the NBPA Top-100 Camp, and he once more showcased that he not only fits in but also can dominate against the cream of the crop. As a result, Costello has picked up a flood of offers – 15 – in the month of June alone.
Although Mingo’s leap up the rankings is minute in comparison to those of Jervis and Costello, there wasn’t much room to climb for the now-top-10 prospect. As previously mentioned, both Jervis and Costello put on stellar performances at the NBPA Top-100 Camp, but the true star of the show was Mingo, who brought in MVP honors.
Mingo – with whom the Illini may be nearing an official visit – is a dynamic scorer who can get a bucket at any level, facilitate for his teammates and be pesky on the defensive end. A 6-foot-5 combo guard with lead guard potential, Mingo has the size, and certainly the skill set, to be a Day 1 impact player at the high-major level.
5⭐️ Dylan Mingo just won NBPA Top 100 Camp MVP 🏆🚨
He averaged 23.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 6.8 APG 🔥@_Dylanmingo @Top100Camp @TheNBPA pic.twitter.com/Vyi9WK0Tyg
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) June 13, 2025
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