Underwood Signing Day Press Conference

Champaign, ILL.– University of Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday the signing of four-star recruits Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris to national letters of intent on the first day of the early signing period.

Jayden Epps is a 6-foot, 2-inch, 190-pound guard from Suffolk, Virginia. He is at Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina for his senior season after previously attending King's Fork High School in Suffolk. He plays for Team Loaded on the AAU circuit.

Epps is the No. 59 player in the Class of 2022 by 247Sports Composite, No. 94 by ESPN, and No. 105 by Rivals. He also ranks as the No. 12 combo guard in the country by 247Sports.

Epps did not have a junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He averaged 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals as a sophomore, leading King's Fork to a 24-3 record, Class 4A Region championship and share of the Virginia Class 4 state title. He was named 2020 Class 4 Player of the Year by the Virginia High School League and All-Tidewater Player of the Year.

Epps is off to a strong start to his senior year after averaging 36 points in the Overtime Elite Prep Challenge (Nov. 1-2), scoring 39 in game one and 33 in game two.

"Jayden can play multiple guard spots and has tremendous scoring ability," Underwood said. "I love his ability to shoot it from three, and he's got great quickness off the bounce. You couple that with a strong, physical body that's Big Ten ready, and that will allow him on the defensive side to be as good of a two-way guard as we've recruited here. Jayden is always in the gym, has a tremendous commitment to basketball and maturity about him that is extremely impressive. He's a guy who will continue to get better because he puts in so much work and time into it."

Sencire Harris is a 6-foot, 4-inch, 180-pound guard from North Canton, Ohio. He is in his third year at St.  Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron after attending North Canton Hoover as a freshman. He also plays for the Wildcat Select AAU program.

Harris is ranked No. 62 overall by Rivals, No. 98 by Top247 and No. 110 by 247Sports Composite. He is the No. 1-rated senior in the state of Ohio by 247Sports, the No. 11 shooting guard by Top247 and No. 12 shooting guard by Rivals.

Harris averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists as a junior, helping lead St. Vincent-St. Mary to the 2021 Ohio Division II state championship and a 25-2 record. He was a second-team All-Ohio selection by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association after earning third-team All-Ohio honors as a sophomore when he averaged 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

"Sencire is a versatile guard who has an unbelievable ceiling," Underwood said. "He can score it. He can play on the ball. He can go and get his own anytime he wants, and that's a very hard thing to do. He's got great length, quick twitch, can dunk on you at the rim, and makes really difficult shots when guarded. What I like most about Sencire is he is the ultra-competitor. He's a winner. I love his spirit and we're excited to have him wearing the Orange and Blue."