2023 Amani Hansberry commits to Illinois
The No. 1 prospect in the MD/DC rankings, Amani Hansberry Amani Hansberry 6'7" | C Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State #52 Nation MD , announced his commitment to Illinoi this afternoon. The 6’8 big has spent the last six months winning at a high level going head-to-head against some of the top prospects in his class nationally, showcased the layers of his game that make him versatile and becoming a priority target for high major programs. In the end, Hansberry focused on Miami, Auburn, Illinois, Penn State and Virginia Tech before ultimately deciding to join head coach Brad Underwood in the fall of 2023.
“I think Amani put himself in the position where he had great choices and great opportunities,” Mount St. Joe head coach Pat Clatchey told Prep Hoops. “I will say that Illinois is getting a terrific young man and an outstanding basketball player who is very versatile and has a high skill level and IQ that will make him a successful player at the college level and beyond.”
Hansberry helped the Gaels to a sweep of the BCL and MIAA A Conference titles, a feat that simply cannot go unnoticed.
“He had a great season for us and was extremely instrumental towards our success. I think one of the most impressive things about him is his level of consistency. Everyone always is saying that he’s an automatic double-double or a double-double machine, but there are so many things that he can do to impact winning on both sides of the ball. He’s an outstanding rebounder, elite-level passer and I think he has a very intriguing skill-set.”
Hansberry averaged 16.1 and 10.3 rebounds per game at Peach Jam with Team Durant in July. His ability not only to score with his back to the basket, but also be a pick-and-pop threat makes him a nightmare for opposing bigs to guard. He also steadily improved in his ability as a grab-and-go guy who could lead fast breaks and make good decisions off the live dribble for scores.
Many people like to think that highly-regarded prospects will be an impact for their respective schools as a freshman, but the reality is it still takes time to adjust to the physicality, speed and mental approach that the college level brings. Hansberry is one of the few that are ready in this regard and should be a big piece of the Illini offense for the 2023-24 season.