4-star Ohio recruit keeps Illinois basketball in top 10

September 5 was a huge day for the women’s Illinois basketball program in more than one way.

The headliner on Thursday was the commitment of five-star point guard, Destiny Jackson. She committed to the Illini and gave the program two five-star recruits in the past two recruiting classes.

Jackson is going to join an Illinois lineup that is going to need some help in 2025. There will be plenty of playing time with the seniors departing the program.

Having playing time available and a team that can compete must be attractive options for recruits. While Jackson pledged to the Orange and Blue on Thursday, Illinois also came closer to landing another big-time player.

On Thursday, Naomi Benson took to social media to announce that she has cut her recruitment down to just 10 teams. The 10 programs to make the list included DePaul, Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Memphis, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Cal, and Illinois.

Benson would be a big addition to the Illinois program. She is a 6-foot-2 wing out of Streetsboro High School in Ohio. She is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 91 player in the class of 2025.

If Benson did pick the Illini, we would be getting a quality paint player who can really do some damage on the defensive end of the court, as she is great at blocking shots.

I love Benson’s athletic ability too. Not only can she stop players in the paint, but she can run the court well and drive to the basket. Her game reminds me a lot of Kendall Bostic. I think Benson would likely play the No. 4 or No. 5 spot in the Illinois lineup too.

The fact Illinois is in the running for Benson is exciting. Shauna Green is doing some great work on the recruiting trail. Let’s just step back and think of what the 2025 roster could look like with Benson.

A rough picture of the lineup would be No. 1 Jackson, No. 2 Gretchen Dolan, No. 3 Berry Wallace, No. 4 Benson, and No. 5 Hayven Smith.

That starting lineup would consist of two five-star recruits, a four-star recruit, Dolan who showed a ton of promise in 2023-24, and Smith who will anchor the middle at 6-foot-6. That is a Big Ten contending lineup.

Illinois also added some key pieces for depth in the future. 6-foot-7 Lety Vasconcelos transferred in from Baylor this summer. She will still have two years left in 2025. The same can go for Mississippi State transfer Jasmine Brown-Hagger. Let’s not forget the potential of Cori Allen as well.

The women’s Illinois basketball team isn’t just getting to a point of sustainability. We are way past that now. I believe this program is on a collision course with deep NCAA tournament runs. Buckle up, Illini fans.