CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Saturday the signing of Ethan Brown to a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement. Brown will join the Fighting Illini program as a freshman in 2026-27. Â
Brown is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard from Rolla, Missouri. He is a four-star recruit and the No. 150 player in the class of 2026 according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Brown also ranks as the No. 18 combo guard in the class by 247Sports, while Rivals lists him No. 46 among shooting guards. Both outlets slot Brown as the No. 8 player in the state of Missouri.Â
Brown attends Rolla High School, where he is a two-time all-state selection playing for head coach Mark Miller. He enters his senior season already ranking as the top scorer in program history, just shy of 2,000 points as a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. During his junior campaign in 2024-25, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 3.8 steals to lead Rolla to a 23-6 record.
Last summer, Brown was named 17U MVP and first-team All-Circuit playing AAU with the Gateway Knights in the New Balance P32 League where he averaged 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per contest.
"Ethan is a very gifted guard with great athleticism and a scorer's mentality," Underwood said. "He can shoot the ball from anywhere – just tremendous range – and he can really create for others as well at the point. He is a high IQ player whose upside is extremely high. Ethan fits what we do with positional size and shooting; we're very excited to welcome him to the Orange and Blue."
Brown is the second prep standout to sign with the Fighting Illini during the early signing period, joining Landon Davis.
