CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Tuesday the signing of Brandon Lee to a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement.
Lee is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Hillside, New Jersey who attends The Patrick School, playing for coach Chris Chavannes. He is a four-star recruit, ranked No. 89 overall by Rivals, No. 101 by 247Sports and No. 121 by On3. Lee is the top-ranked player in the state of New Jersey, and the No. 18 shooting guard in the 2025 class by 247Sports.
Lee also plays for the New York Rens AAU program. He was the third-leading scorer in the EYBL, averaging 23 points, and was named Breakout MVP of the 17U division by The Circuit. At Peach Jam, he averaged 18.8 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Lee has international experience as well, starring for Puerto Rico at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June. He led Puerto Rico in scoring at 13.3 points per game and registered 22 points in the quarterfinals vs. Team USA.
"Brandon is a gifted scorer and an aggressive offensive player who can score at all three levels," Underwood said. "He has great physicality which allows him to score at the rim, get to the foul line, and he is a very capable shooter with range at the 3-point line. He has faced high-level competition throughout high school and AAU, and he has FIBA experience as well with Puerto Rico. Brandon comes from a basketball family, so it's no surprise he is a high IQ player who has been well-coached throughout his career. We're excited to officially welcome him to the Fighting Illini family."
Lee's father, Butch Lee, was part of Marquette's national championship team in 1977 while being named the tournament's most outstanding player, and the 1978 Naismith Player of the Year, before becoming the No. 10 pick in the NBA Draft. His older brother, Matthew Lee, played at St. Peter's and was part of the Peacocks' 2022 Elite Eight team.
Lee joins Keaton Wagler, who signed last Thursday, in the Illini 2025 recruiting class.
