CHAMPAIGN — Illinois prioritized Brandon Weston’s recruitment ever since offering the 6-foot-5, 195-pound wing in June 2019. The Mac Irvin Fire and Morgan Park connections certainly helped. So did getting Weston on campus for multiple unofficial visits.

It just ultimately wasn’t enough. Weston closed out his recruitment Sunday with a commitment to Seton Hall. It was a somewhat close to home choice for the four-star Class of 2021 recruit, who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to the midwest to attend first St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy (Wis.) then Lake Forest Academy and Morgan Park.

The Pirates came out on top in a final group that also included the Illini, Wake Forest, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Western Illinois.

Weston was a 2020 News-Gazette All-State Second Team selection after averaging 19.2 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals during his junior season at Morgan Park. He’ll finish his high school career at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix alongside current Illinois targets in five-star Class of 2021 forward Michael Foster Jr. and three-star Class of 2022 guard Trey Pettigrew.

Foster transferred to Hillcrest Prep for the 2019-20 season from Milwaukee (Wis.) Washington and is also a Mac Irvin Fire standout. Pettigrew transferred to Hillcrest Prep from Fenwick this summer.

While Illinois missed out on Weston on Sunday, the Illini landed in the top nine for four-star Class of 2021 forward Bryce Hopkins. The Fenwick standout, who decommitted from Louisville earlier this month, named Michigan, Oregon, Cal, Iowa State, Kentucky, Texas, Providence and Indiana in his new top nine.

Hopkins was a 2020 News-Gazette All-State First Team selection and is a frontrunner for 2021 player of the year honors. The 6-7, 220-pound forward put up 24.1 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Friars in 2019-20.