It has been nearly a year and a half since Illinois first extended an offer to five-star in-state guard Brady Pettigrew, a member of the class of 2028. Pettigrew was still a freshman when he picked up the offer in April 2025. Since then, Brad Underwood and his staff have apparently never let up in Pettigrew’s recruitment.
Brady Pettigrew will visit Illinois – and this time it’s official
Top college basketball programs routinely engage in a song-and-dance with elite prospects – you have to shoot your shot, right? – but there comes a time when frontrunners separate themselves from the others. Pettigrew has attended multiple Illinois games and recently took another unofficial visit to campus earlier this summer, but on Thursday it was reported by Sam Kayser that Pettigrew had locked in his five official visits – and will be to Champaign.
Along with his visit to Illinois, Pettigrew has scheduled trips to Michigan, Florida, Ohio State and Arkansas. Of note, the Illini were the first team on that list to offer Pettigrew – and one of just two (Florida being the other) to extend an offer before this summer.
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Brady Pettigrew scouting report
First and foremost, Pettigrew is a scorer – in every sense of the word. He is a solid shooter from deep and can connect off the bounce (he shot 30.2 percent from beyond the arc in Nike EYBL play). In the midrange, Pettigrew can get to his shot at will.
But Pettigrew, who may very well be the most vertically explosive player in his class, is most effective attacking the rim. He lived at the line in EYBL play, averaging 8.7 free-throw attempts per game. That figure alone suggests he does not shy away from contact.
And between his touch, body control, willingness to play through contact and athleticism, he is borderline unstoppable in downhill mode. He is also great in transition. The list goes on. Pettigrew is an ultra-polished scorer through and through.
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The only area for improvement from a bucket-getting perspective is his efficiency from deep and perhaps the quality of his shot diet – but the latter is often a common characteristic of uber-talented players being the best player on the floor and, subsequently, being given the green light to shoot anything.
Defensively, Pettigrew fits the typical profile of a blue-chip recruit: if he applies himself, with his physical attributes, he could be a plus defender.
Illinois’ main competition – and is Brady Pettigrew a reclass candidate?
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Arkansas, which has become “Guard U” ever since John Calipari showed up in Fayetteville, certainly has a strong sell to Pettigrew: Come play for the Razorbacks and likely finish – sooner rather than later – as an NBA lottery pick.
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But with Keaton Wagler‘s meteoric rise throughout the 2025-26 season and the Illini’s growing team success, Underwood has an even better pitch: Come to Champaign, compete for a national title and cash in on your lottery ticket.
Meanwhile, both Florida and Michigan can make a claim like no other program – including Illinois: Each has won a recent national championship (Florida in 2025 and Michigan this year). As for Ohio State? Well, it’s honestly a mild surprise to see the Buckeyes on this list.
With Pettigrew scheduling his official visits for this fall and early winter, a question arises: Is he pondering a reclassification? Often, especially in today’s era of college hoops, prospects don’t take official visits until their senior year.
So perhaps Pettigrew is contemplating a leap into the 2027 class – which would line up almost perfectly with the Illini’s timeline, assuming Quentin Coleman is a one-and-done, which all (very) early signs point towards.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as 5-Star Brady Pettigrew to Visit Illinois: Breaking Down His Recruitment and Game.
