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Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball is headed to Illinois

04/13/2021, 1:30pm CDT
By Mark Miller

Saying his interaction with the entire coaching staff and all of the players felt like "home," senior guard Brandin Podziemski today committed to the University of Illinois to play college basketball.

Podziemski, a 6-foot-6 combination guard who lives in Muskego and attends St. John's Northwestern Academies in Delafield, selected Illinois over his four other finalists -- Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

"The relationships I've made with the whole coaching staff and with all of the players -- not just the incoming players but all of the returning players as well -- made me feel like Illinois was home," said Podziemski, Wisconsin's 2020-21 Mr. Basketball-award winner. "I'm extremely pleased with my decision. I've dreamt about playing at the highest level of college basketball since eighth grade and now it's a reality." 

Podziemski joins an outstanding recruiting class for Illinois coach Brad Underwood that also includes incoming freshmen Luke Goode (6-7) of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Ramses Melendez (6-7) of Kissimmee, Florida; and Florida transfer Omar Payne (6-9).

Illinois finished 16-4 in the Big Ten Conference and 24-7 overall last season and loses a pair of backcourt starters with Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier headed to the NBA Draft.

The opportunity for immediate playing time at a Big Ten powerhouse appealed to Podziemski as much as his relationships with the coaches and players. 

"There is an opportunity to come in and start right away," Podziemski said. "They see me as a combination guard so I could see time at either guard position. My mindset when I arrive on campus in June will be to work hard to get into the starting rotation."  

Coming off a senior season in which he averaged 35.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 60 percent from the field, 82 percent from the free-throw line and 43 percent (108 of 249) from three-point range, Podziemski certainly possesses the skill necessary to compete at college basketball's highest level. 

His work ethic, though, may be his best attribute. 

As a sophomore, Podziemski was 6-foot-3 and weighed 160 pounds. He improved to 6-4 and 170 pounds as a junior and then soared to 6-6 and 195 pounds as a senior.

"My favorite part of it all is working on my game, all alone in an empty gym," Podziemski said. "I love working on my game when no one is watching so when they are watching, I'm ready to go."

In addition to his impressive physical maturity, Podziemski's stellar play last summer with the Phenom University club program directed by Antonio Curro led to an intense recruiting battle.

"Illinois fits my style of play," Podziemski said. "They love to shoot the three. They love to play fast. And they have a dominant inside player in Kofi Cockburn who draws double teams and can free up shooters. I'm excited to get started with college life and college basketball."

In addition to winning the coveted Mr. Basketball award, Podziemski also won the state Player of the Year award from the Associated Press while helping the Lancers to a 21-7 record and sectional-final appearance under interim coach DJ Mlachnik. 

For the latest and most up to date boys' basketball news and recruiting information, follow Mark on Twitter @wisbbyearbook. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Mark by clicking here.

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