Quentin Coleman impressed scouts to close out his high school season, and he is picking up right where he left off. In his first game as an Illini, an exhibition matchup against Cincinnati, Coleman had the ball in his hands frequently and served as a focal point of the offense. He finished with 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 31 minutes.
Coleman moved up to a five-star prospect in the final 247Sports Class of 2026 rankings, and he continues to generate buzz throughout the college basketball community. Evan Miyakawa of EvanMiya.com recently released his top 30 newcomers in college basketball, with Coleman coming in at No. 8.
Miyakawa's model features several five-star prospects and players expected to make an immediate impact at the college level. Six of the seven players ranked ahead of Coleman are also five-star prospects who finished in the top 20 of the 247Sports Composite rankings. Those players include Jordan Smith Jr., Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, Dylan Mingo, Miles Sadler and Cameron Williams. Quinn Ellis, who is joining St. John's from the United Kingdom, is the only other player ranked ahead of Coleman.
Coleman's projected BPR is 5.1, just 0.3 points behind Miles Sadler for the fifth spot in the rankings. With a little more production, Coleman could climb into the top five of Miyakawa's rankings of incoming college basketball players.
Brad Underwood and his staff have proven they can develop impactful freshmen who make an immediate difference and earn their way to the NBA after just one season.
Keaton Wagler is the latest example. He took the college basketball world by storm last season, putting together one of the best freshman campaigns in program history before becoming a lottery pick. Coleman could be the next Illinois freshman to take on a major role and make an immediate impact.
Coleman was arguably underappreciated as a prospect, originally committing to Wake Forest before switching his commitment to Illinois. Now, the college basketball community is beginning to take notice of his potential, and his performance in last Saturday's exhibition game only added to the excitement surrounding him.
The 2026-27 Illini have plenty of offensive weapons competing for touches, but I would be surprised if Coleman does not play a significant role on both ends of the floor. He is a five-star prospect for a reason, and his early projections as a potential lottery pick in next June's NBA Draft reflect the high expectations surrounding him.
Coleman and three-star prospect Ethan Brown both impressed in Illinois' exhibition game last weekend. Stefan Vaaks remains the likely starter, but Brown could join Coleman in becoming an impactful freshman during his first college season.