Data study · every season we hold

Where Illinois High School Basketball Players Go to College

Of the 1,493 players from Illinois high schools on a college roster in our data, 37% played their college basketball in Illinois.

Computed from 1,493 players · 2020–21 to 2026–27 · updated Sep 1, 2026

1,493
players in the dataset
37%
stayed in Illinois
32%
reached D1
Wisconsin
#1 destination outside Illinois

37% stay in-state.

Illinois is below the 43% all-state baseline.

Illinois skews toward D3.

51% of Illinois players in the dataset reached D3, against 41% nationally.

Wisconsin and Missouri are the first destinations out.

Among players leaving Illinois, 21% went to Wisconsin and 9% to Missouri.

Illinois's college players skew toward D3

Illinois vs all states · share of players at each level

Illinois

D132%
D217%
D351%

n = 1,493

All states

D136%
D223%
D341%

n = 29,117

ILAll statesDifference
D132%36%−4 pts
D217%23%−6 pts
D351%41%+10 pts

Where Illinois players land

Destination states
Destination statePlayersShare
Illinois54537%
Wisconsin19513%
Missouri825%
Iowa815%
Ohio654%
Indiana594%
Michigan493%
Minnesota433%

Which programs take Illinois players

Historical landings
ProgramDivisionStatePlayers
BenedictineD3Illinois45
Illinois WesleyanD3Illinois35
Illinois CollegeD3Illinois34
Dominican (IL)D3Illinois31
ElmhurstD3Illinois29
North ParkD3Illinois29
LorasD3Iowa27
CarthageD3Wisconsin26
Monmouth (IL)D3Illinois24
RockfordD3Illinois22

What this means for a Illinois recruit

How to read it

Start local, but don't stop local.

37% of Illinois players in the dataset stayed in-state — the programs most likely to see you play repeatedly are the ones nearby.

Your realistic level matters more than geography alone.

Illinois's historical landings skew toward D3 (51% vs 41% nationally).

Past recruiting is a signal, not a guarantee.

A program that repeatedly rosters players from your state has demonstrated a pathway; it does not mean it will recruit you.

Those are the historical patterns for Illinois. Where does your profile fit?Depth Chart scores your size, position, level and recruiting profile against all 1,060 programs.
Start my free preview

Methodology

Source · sample · scope

1,493 players · 1,060 programs · 2020–21 to 2026–27

Definitions and scope
Source
Official rosters published by the athletics sites of 1,060 NCAA D1, D2 and D3 men's programs, collected by Depth Chart.
Home state
The state of the high school on the player's record — the same definition the state tool uses, so the two read the same data the same way.
Level
Each player counts once, at the highest level they reached across the seasons we hold (D1 over D2 over D3).
Sample
1,493 players from Illinois high schools, across every season we hold; roster coverage runs 2020–21 to 2026–27. A state with fewer than 200 players in our data is not published, because it would describe a coincidence rather than a pattern.
Computed
September 1, 2026 · methodology state-landing-pages-1
Relatedfrom the same data
Data studyWhere New York High School Basketball Players Go to College

64% of the 2,023 New York high-school players in our data stayed in New York for college; 22% reached Division I. Destinations, levels and the programs that take them most, from every season we hold.

Data studyWhere New Jersey High School Basketball Players Go to College

37% of the 1,292 New Jersey high-school players in our data stayed in New Jersey for college; 28% reached Division I. Destinations, levels and the programs that take them most, from every season we hold.

Data studyWhere Missouri High School Basketball Players Go to College

37% of the 497 Missouri high-school players in our data stayed in Missouri for college; 43% reached Division I. Destinations, levels and the programs that take them most, from every season we hold.