Good Morning, Illini Nation: Offer out to five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 21—Illinois' intent to pursue the best high school players in the country remains clear. The Illini's latest target only reinforces that notion, with Illinois offering Class of 2028 standout Bentley Lusakueno.
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Lusakueno is ranked as a five-star recruit in the Class of 2028 and as high as the No. 6 overall prospect, per 247Sports. The list of offers for the 6-foot-10, 205-pound forward reflects his status. Other power conference programs involved include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kansas State, Miami, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC and Vanderbilt.
Lusakueno is set to play his junior season at IMG Academy (Fla.) alongside fellow Class of 2028 Illini target (and 7-4 center) Dylan Betts, giving the Ascenders one of the highest-profile frontcourts in the country. The move to Bradenton, Fla., comes after Lusakueno spent his freshman year at Pace Academy (Ga.) and sophomore year at Woodard Academy (Ga.).
Lusakueno averaged seven points and 5.4 rebounds as a freshman for the Knights. His breakout sophomore season saw him 15.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the War Eagles.
Lusakueno also has a three-year history with USA Basketball. He attended a junior national team minicamp in October 2024 and parlayed that into a roster spot for Team USA at the 2025 FIBA U16 AmeriCup where he averaged three points and 2.4 rebounds off the bench to help the U.S. claim gold.
This year was more of the same for the five-star forward. Lusakueno participated in the junior national team minicamp in Indianapolis in April and was among the final cuts for Team USA ahead of the FIBA U17 World Cup.
Lusakueno's shot at another U.S. roster came in the midst of his run with Team CP3 on Nike's 16U EYBL circuit. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19 games this spring and summer while shooting 51 percent overall and 42 percent from three-point range.