Chambana Sun

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has announced the signing of Ethan Brown to a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement. Brown will join the University of Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team as a freshman for the 2026-27 season.

Brown, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 185 pounds, is from Rolla, Missouri. He is recognized as a four-star recruit and ranked No. 150 in the class of 2026 by the 247Sports Composite rankings. According to 247Sports, he is also listed as the No. 18 combo guard in his class, while Rivals ranks him No. 46 among shooting guards. Both recruiting outlets consider him the eighth-best player in Missouri.

At Rolla High School, Brown has been selected all-state twice under head coach Mark Miller. Entering his senior year, he holds the distinction of being the top scorer in school history with nearly 2,000 points over three years as a starter for the Bulldogs. In his junior year during the 2024-25 season, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 3.8 steals per game and helped lead Rolla to a record of 23 wins and six losses.

During summer play with AAU team Gateway Knights in the New Balance P32 League, Brown was named MVP for the under-17 age group and earned first-team All-Circuit honors after averaging 17 points, 4.7 rebounds, three assists, and just over two steals per game.

"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 becomes Illinois' second early signing this period alongside Landon Davis.