Recruitment Race for 2018 4-Star Guard Tim Finke Heats Up

The Big Ten conference battle expands from Ohio State and Illinois for four-star 2018 prospect shooting guard Tim Finke as more schools join the race.

The two schools continue to drool and yearn for Finke, who clocks in as the 33rd best prospect and the eighth ranked shooting guard in the 2018 class. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches with a 195 pound build, the gifted athlete continues to turn heads and deservingly so.

Illinois made the first offer to Finke back in July 2015 and since then he has stockpiled on offers. Indiana, a rival to the Fighting Illini, became the second Big Ten conference team to visit Tim Finke, yet they did not offer a scholarship. But Ohio State did not sit on him for long. By January Thad Matta, head coach for the Buckeyes, visited him a day before they knocked off Illinois in a 68-63 overtime victory and immediately offered him a full packaged scholarship.

It was a two horse race for most of this past season, but now more schools have jumped in. Northwestern became the third Big Ten team to offer him a deal last week and Notre Dame followed suit the next day.

Ten total schools have contacted Finke with eight of them offering scholarships. Illinois remains the leader of the pack with undeniable ties between Finke and the campus. His older brother, Michael, plays forward for Illinois and the school stands ten minutes away from Centennial High School, where Tim Finke is registered and where he developed into the potential superstar he is today.

It’s an uphill battle for the other schools, but Ohio State’s program is not one to ignore. Thad Matta’s abrupt meeting with him on his way to beat his brother had Finke impressed to say the least. He knows it’s a great school and program, stringing the Buckeyes along as the recruitment race heats up.

Tim Finke’s game makes him an intriguing acquisition for any basketball program. He can spot up a three with ease while also showing no fear with interior scoring, especially when he sees a mismatch. His court vision is strong with incredible athleticism on the glass.

It’s a match made in heaven for Illinois. The Champaign project could be looking to stay home, while adding a significant offensive boost that Illinois desperately needs in order to make a March Madness appearance.

Tim Finke’s basketball career won’t be established for some time and he has set his immediate future up for success with the way he has been playing. Expect more Big Ten teams to jump the bandwagon for his efforts soon even if it is going to be an uphill battle for other schools to stop him from becoming a Fighting Illini.