2018 Signing Class | @IlliniMBB
Champaign, Ill. – Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday the signing of five student-athletes to national letters of intent. Joining the Fighting Illini program are guards Andres Feliz (Northwest Florida State Junior College), Alan Griffin (Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.)) and Tevian Jones (Culver City (Calif.) High School), forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (The Patrick School (N.J.)) and center Samba Kane (Florida Prep Academy).
They join guard Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Morgan Park High School), who signed with the Illini last November, in the Class of 2018. Illinois' recruiting class currently ranks 13th in the nation by Rivals.com.
"We are excited about this class and the impact it will have as we continue to build our program," Underwood said. "We have added size, length and athleticism at every position on the court. These young men are winners who come from successful programs, they are passionate about the game of basketball, and they share a common bond of taking great pride in their desire to play for the University of Illinois."
GIORGI BEZHANISHVILI | Bio
F, 6-9, 230
Hometowns: Rustavi, Georgia & Vienna, Austria
High School / Coach: The Patrick School (N.J.) / Chris Chavannes
AAU Program: New York Jayhawks
Notes on Bezhanishvili: Fourth-leading scorer at The Patrick School – a team filled with Division I prospects – averaging eight points per game … Scored season-high 22 points vs. Linden on Jan. 16 … Tallied 16 points in Union County Tournament championship game vs. Roselle Catholic on Feb. 24 … Moved to the United States in 2017 … Played for Klosterneuburg in the Austrian Basketball League last season, averaging 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Coach Underwood on Bezhanishvili: Giorgi is an extremely skilled front court player. He is already physically strong and has great length with a 7-2 wingspan. He is a lefty who can step out and shoot, put it on the floor, and is an outstanding passer.
ANDRES FELIZ | Bio
@verdadero_andre
G, 6-2, 185
Hometown: Guachupita, Dominican Republic
Junior College / Coach: Northwest Florida State / Steve DeMeo
Notes on Feliz: NJCAA Division I first-team All-American … Averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3-point range … Led Northwest Florida State to a 31-3 record, No. 2 national ranking, and NJCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearance … Scored career-high 30 points on 11-19 shooting vs. Trinity Valley on Nov. 25 … 19 games with 20-plus points … Top-ranked point guard and No. 12-ranked player overall by JucoRecruiting.com … Prior to junior college, led West Oaks Academy in Orlando to back-to-back Sunshine Independent Athletic Association titles, averaging 23 points as a senior … Led the Dominican Republic at the 19U FIBA World Championships in 2015, averaging 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Coach Underwood on Feliz: Andres is a versatile guard who does nothing but win, as evidenced by his two state titles at Northwest Florida State and trips to the national junior college tournament, along with two titles in high school. He has tremendous basketball IQ, is an elite passer with great hands, and has a knack for making his teammates better, which is what you look for in a lead guard.
ALAN GRIFFIN | Bio
@alangriffin_
G, 6-5, 180
Hometowns: Oak Park, Ill. & Ossining, N.Y.
High School / Coach: Archbishop Stepinac / Pat Massaroni
AAU Program: New York Rens
Notes on Griffin: Averaged 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 48 percent from 3-point range as a senior … Helped lead Stepinac to 27-5 overall record and its first league title since 1984, first city title since 1960, and the school's first-ever state Federation championship … Had 29 points and 11 rebounds in Archdiocesan title game victory over Cardinal Hayes … Named MVP of the Catholic High Schools Athletic Association (CHSAA) NYC Class AA tournament, recording 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in title game win over Christ the King … MVP of the New York State Class AA Federation Tournament of Champions, totaling 28 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and three steals in title game win over South Shore … Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year … First-team All-CHSAA … Lived in Oak Park, Illinois for seven years before moving to New York … Father, Adrian, played college basketball at Seton Hall and nine years in the NBA and is currently an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coach Underwood on Griffin: Alan is a winner; part of a state champion program where he was named MVP. He has a tremendous basketball background and family. Alan has proven to be an elite shooter and scorer with great length. He can score off the dribble as well as catch-and-shoot, and has terrific range.
TEVIAN JONES | Bio
@TheReal_TJones
G, 6-7, 200
Hometowns: Chandler, Ariz. & Culver City, Calif.
High School / Coach: Culver City / Reggie Morris Jr.
AAU Program: Cal Supreme Elite
Notes on Jones: Four-star recruit by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com … Ranked No. 85 overall by Rivals and No. 117 by 247Sports Composite … Averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field as a senior at Culver City High … Helped lead Culver City to the Ocean League championship with a 9-1 record, the school's first conference title in 32 years … Scored career-high 48 points on Dec. 27 vs. Woodland Hills Taft … Named Cal-Hi Sports Southern California Player of the Week after scoring 34 points vs. Beverly Hills (Jan. 24) and 33 points vs. Santa Monica (Jan. 19) … Averaged 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the Nike EYBL with Cal Supreme Elite.
Coach Underwood on Jones: Tevian is a young man we pinpointed on the AAU circuit last summer and recruited all year long. He is a multi-dimensional player who can play any perimeter spot. Tevian is 6-7 with great length and athleticism. He has a skillset that allows him to shoot it from three and beat you off the dribble, and we think he has the tools to become an elite defender.
SAMBA KANE | Bio
@SambaKanesa
C, 7-0, 220
Hometown: Dakar, Senegal
High School / Coach: Florida Prep Academy / Julius Reid
AAU Program: Florida Vipers
Notes on Kane: Averaged 9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a senior while shooting 68 percent from the field … Helped lead Florida Prep to a 25-6 record and Regional Final appearance … Came to the United States in 2016 from the Flying Star Academy in Senegal … Originally part of the 2019 class before reclassifying to 2018 … Spent his first year in the U.S. in Colorado.
Coach Underwood on Kane: Samba is another player who we evaluated all year. His development during that time has been exciting to watch, and with his work ethic that will only continue. Samba is an outstanding defender who will be a rim protector with his wingspan and athleticism. His offensive game continues to develop; he has great touch and can extend out on the floor with his jumpshot.
