In his words: New Illini commit Greg Eboigbodin
Illinois added to its 2017-18 roster on Tuesday with a commitment from power forward Greg Eboigbodin. The 6-foot-9 center will be the fifth newcomer on the Illinois team when they take the court later this year.
Orange and Blue News spoke with Eboigbodin to get his take on why he chose Illinois, what role he sees for himself on Brad Underwood's squad, and more.
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Eboigbodin previously signed with UIC last fall, but was released from his national letter of intent. He took visits to Illinois and Pittsburgh before choosing the Illini.
In the end, Eboigbodin said it came down to the combination of great academics, his relationship with the staff, and how he fits in the system.
"I just liked everything, from the academic standpoint to the coaching staff," Eboigbodin said. "The style of play with Coach Underwood is something I really like, a fast-paced game. I watched the tape when he was the coach at Oklahoma State, and I liked the way they played. "
Illini assistant Chin Coleman had a previous relationship with Eboigbodin when he was at UIC. Eboigbodin also hit it off with the rest of the staff on his visit.
"They have a lot of experience," Eboigbodin said. "Just being with those guys who know basketball, I will do exceptionally well. Coach (Orlando) Antigua, he coached with Coach Calipari and I know a lot of guys he worked with, a lot of bigs. Being with him will really help my game."
Growing up playing soccer in Nigeria, Eboigbodin moved to the United States four years ago and is relatively new to the game of basketball. Though he's still somewhat raw offensively, he has made great strides.
Two summers playing AAU ball with the Family on the EYBL circuit, including teaming with Miles Bridges and Cassius Winston, has helped him rapidly improve his basketball skills.
"A lot of guys probably saw my freshmen or sophomore year," Eboigbodin said. "It was really tough. But for the past three years I've played with a lot great players. You learn a lot playing with the best of the best. Some of the camps I've went to like the Nike Global Challenge, they helped me a lot too. It's still a learning process for me, but it's going well. Everyone can see my improvement."
Underwood will likely need a contribution from Eboigbodin early in his career. The Illini return just two front court players in Michael Finke and Leron Black, along with combo forward Kipper Nichols.
"Coach Underwood told me the front court is really thin," Eboigbodin said. "He likes my game, the way I run the floor and rebound. If anything comes up like fouls or injuries to those other guys, and I can step up and play."
Things are moving quickly. Eboigbodin signed a financial aid agreement to attend Illinois and he plans to move to Champaign this Saturday. He will take summer courses and begin workouts with the team.
For now, Eboigbodin is enrolled in general studies, but he plans to declare a major in business for the fall semester. Eboigbodin talked about what he is most looking forward to about his move to Champaign.
"I want to get there and play with the new guys," Eboigbodin said. "I haven't seen any of the other freshmen who committed. Also, I talked to the strength coach, and I need to put some weight on. That's something I really want to work on this summer."