Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:

Today’s morning Illinois basketball missive is sort of a continuation of the previous two. As in, I wrote that feature about Illinois’ in-state recruiting efforts, and I still have more from my interviews left over to share.

It fits in the trend of the last couple days because the Illini remain in the hunt for Fenwick four-star forward Bryce Hopkins. While it might be a bit of a long shot, there’s still a chance. Anything can — and usually does — happen in the world of recruiting.

Should Illinois secure a commitment from Hopkins it would mark the first time since Bill Self/Bruce Weber went Dee Brown-Brian Randle-Shaun Pruitt from 2002-04 that the Illini got a top two recruit in the state in consecutive classes. Adam Miller held the No. 2 spot in 2020 behind DJ Steward, and Hopkins trails only Max Christie.

Hopkins might not be a top 20 national recruit, but a commitment from the Fenwick standout would certainly improve Illinois’ standing when it comes to in-state recruiting.

“The bigger the name, the more pop and sizzle that comes with it,” said City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Joe Henricksen. “Illinois has, historically, never been able to land an Illinois player ranked among the top 10 or top 15 (nationally). You go down the list of names, and recently they haven’t been able to do the (Jabari Parkers) or Tyler Uhlis or Jalen Brunsons or (Jahlil Okafors). That goes beyond even recent history. You’ve got to go back all the way to the ‘80s when Illinois has really been involved with those type of kids.”

Name recognition isn’t the only win when it comes to recruiting, though.

“Not just a bigger name but what kind of personality they have and how well-liked they are goes a long way, too,” Henricksen continued. “Ayo (Dosunmu) was a really respected kid among his peers, and he’s a kid that recruits for your program in a natural way just by who he is. That’s an added bonus.”