Four-star recruit Lucas Morillo has committed to Illinois and becomes the third member of head coach Brad Underwood’s 2026 recruiting class. Morillo chose Illinois over other top programs, such as UCLA, Marquette and Texas.
The guard from New Rochelle, New York, is nationally ranked No. 56 overall in the 2026 recruiting class and No. 7 for shooting guards, according to 247Sports. Morillo will play his second and final season at the Newman School in Boston this year before coming to Champaign next fall.
Last summer, Morillo played for the City Rocks on the Nike EBYL circuit, where he averaged 14.8 points, 2.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game. A standout skill for Morillo that sets him apart from other guards is his offensive rebounding ability because of his height. Through his five games with the City Rocks in July, Morillo had 15 offensive rebounds.
Alongside playing in a circuit filled with the nation’s top competition, Morillo also has experience playing on the international stage in FIBA events. Morillo played for the Dominican Republic in the 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, where he put up impressive stat lines. In just seven games, Morillo averaged 20 points and nine rebounds.
At 6-foot-7, Morillo will provide even more height on the perimeter for the Illini. That size also allows him the chance to be physical near the basket and continue to rebound to the same extent as he has throughout his career thus far. In transition, Morillo’s rebounding ability combined with ball-handling should allow him to grab defensive boards and single-handedly push the pace on the fast break, something Illinois fans got an early look at this season with another player, freshman forward David Mirković, in an exhibition game. Underwood loves positional size, and Morillo fits that to a T.
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Underwood and his staff’s ability to recruit and develop guards has been evident in recent years, with players such as Terrence Shannon Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and Will Riley now playing professionally after coming to Champaign with high hopes of success. With a versatile skillset, he could be next in line.
