Good Morning, Illini Nation: Illinois offers 2024 wing Chase McCarty

Scott Richey, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read
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May 9—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:

The bulk of Illinois' scholarship offers in the last few weeks have been to Class of 2025 prospects. Not quite exclusively, but the emphasis has certainly been on that class of recruits. The Illini still have just one commit in the Class of 2024 — St. Rita big man Morez Johnson Jr. — but they added another name to their recruiting board at the end of last week in Westminster Christian Academy (Ala.) wing Chase McCarty.

Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Illinois #Illinois #kingfishers pic.twitter.com/O3exACTAD8

— Chase McCarty (@Chasemccarty21) May 7, 2023

McCarty is ranked as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN. On3 has him as the No. 68 overall recruit and No. 19 small forward. Both 247Sports and On3 rank Huntsville, Ala., native as the No. 2 prospect in Alabama behind Mobile (Ala.) Baker point guard Labaron Philon. McCarty boasts other offers from Kansas, Notre Dame, Tennessee Tech, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Georgia, Cincinnati, Houston, Alabama, Gonzaga and Providence.

McCarty helped lead Westminster Christian Academy to a 29-4 record in 2022-23. The Wildcats finished unbeaten in their region and reached the Class 4A AHSAA state championship game before losing to Jacksonville (Ala.). The 6-foot-6, 200-pound small forward finished his junior year as an AWSA All-State selection.

McCarty is playing for Atlanta Xpress on the Under Armour Association circuit this spring. In eight games, he's averaging 15 points, 4.6 rebounds and one assist. McCarty is shooting 45 percent overall, 33 percent from three-point range and 69 percent at the free throw line.