Illinois added French forward Zacharie Perrin to the roster on Tuesday and he’s eligible to practice and play immediately.
Perrin committed to Illinois in a heated recruiting battle with UCLA, Texas and Florida but was unable to enroll in August. He spent the first semester of the 2022 year at Sunrise Christian in Wichita, Kan.
“We’re excited to have Zach arrive on campus and begin his academic and athletic career at the University of Illinois,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. “He has remained loyal to us throughout the recruiting process and is eager to officially be an Illini.
“Joining a team midseason is certainly a unique situation, but Zach is a driven, committed young man who takes school and basketball seriously. Our coaches and support staff, as well as our players, are here to welcome him and offer support throughout this transition.”
Perrin, who turned 18 on Aug. 30, most recently played for the Antibes Sharks of France’s second-tier pro league. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound Perrin averaged more than 21 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 assists for Antibes’ under-21 team last season.
Perrin was selected MVP of the Adidas Next Generation qualifying tournament in Greece in April, where he put up 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
“My goal is to first and foremost become a better basketball player,” Perrin told ESPN. “I am only 17 years old and still need a lot of development physically. There isn’t a better place to gain strength than college.
“I will also focus on becoming a very good outside shooter. I think I can become a very tough mismatch both at the 4 with my size and at the 5 with my shooting and quickness. Hopefully it gets me to a high level of professional basketball in a few years.”
The Illini were the Big Ten co-champions in the 2021-22 regular season at 15-5, and they finished 23-10 overall after losing to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
–Field Level Media
