Kendall Gill sat in the driver’s seat of his car when he noticed he was getting a phone call, so he answered while his son Phoenix Gill rode along to basketball games, which he would play later that afternoon. Without giving too many details of the conversation away, the phone conversation ended.

Kendall, then said to Phoenix – a class of 2025 guard at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago – that he got his first college scholarship offer. The scholarship didn’t come from just any program, though. Instead, it came from Phoenix’s favorite college basketball team to watch, and one that his father starred for from 1986-90 — Illinois.

“It’s always been a dream,” Phoenix said of getting the scholarship offer from Illinois. “Growing up, seeing Illinois teams and being at the games and all that, it really brought culture to me and it’s always been a dream to me.”

At around 6-foot-2 and roughly 175-pounds, Phoenix is preparing to enter his sophomore year of high school but doesn’t yet play for an AAU program. He was able to earn his scholarship offer from Illinois after impressing Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and Assistant Coach Tim Anderson at the Riverside-Brookfield and Ridgewood High School shootouts.

“I told him that he didn’t get this offer from me,” Kendall said of his oldest son getting a scholarship offer from his alma mater. “He got this because of his talent. He’s very talented. He’s going into his sophomore year and he’s 6-foot-2 and he’s hungry to improve.”

Leading the recruitment for Illinois is Anderson, a Chicago native who has been among the top recruiting assistant coaches in the country since Illinois hired him in the summer of 2021.

Anderson played an integral part in Illinois landing Ty Rodgers and Skyy Clark in the 2022 class and has also earned commitments from 2024 prospects Morez Johnson and ZZ Clark. In the transfer portal, Anderson had preexisting relationships with Dain Dainja, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer – all three will contribute to Illinois in 2022-23.

“I think my relationship with him is really good,” Phoenix said of his connection with Anderson. “I think he realizes my potential and what I want to bring to the table because he was the first in my recruitment. So, I think he realizes how good I can be and how good of a player, leader off the court [I am] and how good I can be in those aspects.”

Phoenix has a small relationship with Underwood but is looking forward to expanding the affiliation with the Illini’s head coach in the coming months and years. Still, despite not knowing Underwood very well, Phoenix does have a lot of respect for the improvements he’s coached the Illini to over the last three seasons.

“I don’t have the biggest relationship with him right now,” Phoenix said. “But I’m sure it will grow throughout the years. I think he’s done a great job. I mean since Coach (John) Groce, I think we’ve really grown as a program – building winning habits, having a lot of success and we’ve been in the Tournament a couple years. And we’ve been known as a tournament team now every year, and that’s the expectation.”

Kendall was a consensus All-American in 1989-90 with Illinois after averaging 20.0 points per game under Illinois’ legendary coach Lou Henson. In 1988-89, Kendall averaged 15.4 points on arguable the greatest team in Illinois history, the ‘Flyin’ Illini’ as they became known for because of their fast-paced, high-flying style of play with impressive dunks from Kendall, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle and Stephen Bardo.

Now involved in the sports media industry with NBC Sports Chicago as a studio host during Chicago Bulls games, Kendall still is an active supporter of Illinois basketball – and when asked what advice he would give Phoenix as a recruit he said with a joking tone, “sign with Illinois.” Make no mistake, though, Kendall wants his son to be an Illini if the possibility presents itself as Phoenix continues to age.

“I know this is the beginning of the process, and that there is going to be a lot more interested in him,” Kendall said. “But hopefully – I’m keeping my fingers crossed – when it’s all said and done, and it’s not my decision, it’s his. But when it’s all said and done, I hope he’s committed to Illinois.”

Phoenix has grown up attending games at State Farm Center and has been on Illinois’ campus several times throughout his childhood. As a young boy, Phoenix was in Kendall’s arms for a photograph when Kendall’s No. 13 Illinois jersey was raised to the rafters of State Farm Center along with many other Illinois greats years ago.

Phoenix is an Illinois basketball fan through and through. He refers to the team as “we” and some of his favorite players are recent stars who have helped Illinois become the Big Ten’s best program the last three seasons, including Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and Trent Frazier.

“Ever since he was a little boy, he’s been an Illinois guy,” Kendall said. “He watches all the games. He doesn’t say Illinois. He said ‘we’ when talking about Illinois basketball. I just hope he continues to say ‘we’ over the next two, three years.”

The Gill’s next-door neighbors, ironically, are the aunt and uncle of Dosunmu – who finished his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls as a second-team All-Rookie member. Phoenix has been able to develop a small relationship with Dosunmu in recent years.

“He was at the house one time shooting a video, so I got to talk to him a little bit,” Phoenix said. “Me being a fan of Ayo, it was really exciting to meet him and talk to him.”

Phoenix’s recruitment hasn’t yet picked up too much. But in addition to the scholarship offer from Illinois, he has been in communication with Cal Poly and Northwestern – his mother’s alma mater. One source indicated that Phoenix is probably a top-5 player in Illinois in the 2025 class and that he could project as a high major talent if he continues to develop on the current curve.

He's impressed this summer against various opponents. He scored 16-points against Rich Township in the Ridgewood Live Event in one contest and has shown an impressive feel as a ball handler and playmaker in transition. He’s also a solid defender with quality length that could potentially guard three or four positions if he continues to grow.

“I think I can shoot the ball very well,” Phoenix said. “Also, I think I’m a great finisher at the rim. And I’m working on my handle and playmaking ability now. I’m trying to transition into a point guard, so I think that will be a strength going forward. I think my three-point shot and my finishing is just going to keep getting better and better. I feel like one strength I have is my bounce, I have a lot of hops.”

Growing up with a father who starred at Illinois and is a proud Fighting Illini has certainly rubbed off on Phoenix Gill. At times, he admits there might be some pressure to play at Illinois and follow in his father’s strides. But he also has stressed that he wants to keep his options open as a recruit and attend the school that he feels is best for him. But the Illini might always hold a sacred space in the heart of a kid who has bled orange and blue since he was just a boy.

“I think Illinois is a first right now,” Phoenix said. “But if I get more offers down the road, I will be looking into them a little bit and I’ll make sure to keep my options open. I know Illinois first, but I still want to keep all my options.”