Fighting Illini men’s basketball land third member of 2018 recruiting class

By Eli Schuster, Assistant Sports Editor for Video

The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team has locked down a commitment from its third member of the 2018 recruiting class.

Samba Kane comes in as a 7-foot power forward out of Florida Preparatory Academy. Originally from Senegal, Kane only recently fell under Head Coach Brad Underwood’s radar. His official visit to the University was on Wednesday, March 7, and the Fighting Illini staff landed his commitment following the end of his visit on March 9.

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At first, Kane was a member of the 2019 class but reclassified to make himself eligible for 2018. The three-star forward, according to 247sports, received offers from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Massachusetts and Rutgers. He also drew interest from Louisville, Wichita State and Arizona State.

Kane joins a 2018 class that consists of five-star guard Ayo Dosunmu and three-star guard Alan Griffin.