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Junior wing holds Illini offer

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Illinois was first to offer 2017 wing Javon Pickett, and when the Illini opened the renovated State Farm Center against Notre Dame, Picket was on hand for a visit.
"That place is beautiful," Picket said about the refurbished arena. "The crowd was nice, and I like how the fans came out for it. The fanbase was amazing."
Pickett hales from Belleville (Ill.) East High school in the St. Louis metro east, the same school that produced Illinois junior Malcolm Hill.
The 6-foot-4 Pickett is a slender but skilled shooting guard with an all-around game and shooting range beyond the 3-point line. He sees the entire court and is a nifty distributor. It's all about maturing physically at this point and gaining the strength he'll need to compete at the next level.
Pickett says he improved over the summer running with the SW Illinois Jets on the AAU circuit. He also improved his recruiting stock.
"I feel like I got a lot better and I'm stronger," he said. "I would say passing is my strength, but I can score. So far my season is going pretty well. I'm making shots."
Picket is scoring at a 20-point clip early in his junior campaign.
On the recruiting front, Pickett is getting a few more high major looks, and he's in contact with some local schools.
"Recently I've been picking up interest from Kansas State and Cincinnati, and I'm still talking to SLU and SIU," Pickett said. "I'm supposed to take some visits, but I haven't made any decision on where I want to visit yet."
The connection with Hill could pay benefits for the Illini down the road. He's a few years behind Hill in school, but Pickett said the two communicate regularly.
"We're getting real close now, so it's good," he said.
Just entering his junior season, Pickett said he isn't close to making a final decision in his recruitment.
"I want to do it in the summer before my senior year," Pickett said. "I just have to build a bond with the coaches first."
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