The Chess Player: Lucas Morillo's Game Is All About the Next Move

On October 24, 2025, Lucas Morillo turned 18. He spent the day announcing his college decision. He picked Illinois over UCLA, Texas, Marquette, Virginia, and Minnesota, and became the highest-ranked recruit in the Illini's 2026 class at the time.

A year later he's in Champaign, wearing No. 23, and turning 19 next week. He's also doing something he hasn't had to do much in his life: figuring out how to win without the ball in his hands.

For entry No. 6 in our Meet the Illini series, here's the 6-7 point guard from New York who represents the Dominican Republic, plays chess with his dad, and might be the first freshman off the bench this season.

Mount Vernon, the Dominican Republic, and Chess

Morillo grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, just north of the Bronx. His family is Dominican, and he takes that seriously. He has played for the Dominican Republic at the U16, U17, U18, and U19 levels. He told the New England Basketball Journal that representing his country and his family's heritage is a great feeling, and that he plays for his last name and the name on his back.

He credits his dad with pushing him and inspiring him, and calls his mom, brother, and sister his biggest supporters. Away from the court he reads, hangs out with friends, and plays chess, a game his dad taught him. If you watch him play basketball, that last one makes a lot of sense.

The Move That Changed Everything

Morillo spent his first two high school seasons at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Then, in the summer of 2024, he made a big decision. He reclassified from the class of 2025 to 2026 and transferred to The Newman School in Boston. The extra year gave him time to get stronger and polish his game, and he told the Basketball Journal it was the best decision he could have made.

He was right. As a junior at Newman he averaged 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. Newman won a program-record 31 games and its first NEPSAC Class AAA championship, and Morillo was named the New England Basketball Journal's Player of the Year.

Then his senior year was even better. He averaged 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 56% from the field and 40% from three. Newman went 38-3 and won its first National Prep Championship, and Morillo was named 2026 NEPSAC Class AAA Player of the Year.

Playing on the World Stage

Morillo's résumé goes well beyond prep school. On the Nike EYBL circuit with the New York City Rocks, he averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. In the summer of 2025, at 17 years old, he played up an age group for the Dominican Republic at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. He averaged 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.9 steals against the best teenagers in the world.

Then this past April he was picked for Team World at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. That game has become a must-watch for Illinois fans. David Mirkovic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, Kofi Cockburn, Andre Curbelo, and Andres Feliz all played in it before coming to Champaign. Morillo fit right in. He scored 12 points in 21 minutes, hit two of four threes, and had three steals, and one scouting writer called him a total X-factor for Team World.

Why Illinois

Morillo had 17 Division I offers, including NC State, Ole Miss, Stanford, Villanova, and Virginia Tech on top of his finalists. Illinois assistant Orlando Antigua led the recruitment. He's also the coach who brought Puerto Rican guard Brandon Lee to Champaign, part of Illinois' growing reach into the Caribbean. Morillo took his official visit in late September 2025 and committed a month later.

He told 247Sports that Underwood was the biggest reason, calling him a great coach with a great reputation. He also liked the program's recent history with big guards. That makes sense. Illinois has been winning with 6-5-plus playmakers for years, from Ayo Dosunmu to Wagler.

When Morillo signed, Underwood called him a multi-positional guard who might be most comfortable at the point. He also called him an elite passer with a high basketball IQ, and one of the best rebounding perimeter players he saw on the summer circuit.

What Kind of Player Is He?

This is where the chess comparison comes in. Morillo isn't going to wow you with his first step. The scouting reports are honest about that. 247Sports said he isn't an overwhelming athlete, doesn't have elite quickness, and rarely finishes above the rim. A Hoop Summit scouting breakdown summed up his game as "craft over athleticism."

What he does have is size, patience, and vision. At 6-7, he uses his body to create angles near the rim and finishes off two feet with control. He finds cutters and shooters when the help comes. He moves well without the ball, he rebounds like a forward, and his length lets him guard multiple spots. He's always thinking a move ahead.

The big question is the jumper. He hit 40% from three as a senior, but on only 98 attempts. Across his junior and senior seasons, he shot about 37% from three and 67% from the free-throw line, according to that same breakdown. Whether the shot holds up in the Big Ten will decide a lot about his role.

A Summer Setback, and a New Role

Morillo's first months on campus didn't go perfectly. He tweaked his back early in the summer and missed team activities. On June 30, Underwood said that was the first day he'd done even "dummy offense stuff." By early July, Underwood said he was starting to practice again.

When Illinois posted his summer highlights in August, the surprise was what they showed. Nearly every clip was Morillo knocking down spot-up threes over contests, not the slashing and playmaking he's known for. SI wondered whether the downhill game would translate, while also pointing out that the back tweak probably set him back.

The bigger adjustment is mental. Illinois has a lot of ballhandlers: Mirkovic, Stefan Vaaks, Quentin Coleman, and Andrej Stojakovic. So Morillo is learning a new job. He told Illini Inquirer he's trying to find different ways to impact the game without the basketball, mainly by rebounding and doing the little things.

Where He Fits This Season

Most of the people watching this team expect Morillo to play. When SI ranked the candidates for Illinois' eighth rotation spot in August, he was No. 1. On3's Orange and Blue News said in September that he could earn a place in Underwood's rotation. And a recent Illini Inquirer feature carried a quote calling him someone with "a very, very high ceiling."

The fit is easy to see. Illinois needs backcourt depth, and Morillo is a 6-7 guard who passes, rebounds, and defends. He doesn't need plays called for him to help. If the jumper keeps falling, he's the kind of player Underwood loves to have on the floor late in games.

The Bottom Line

Morillo is the kind of player who's easy to underrate if you only watch for highlights. He won't jump out of the gym. But he has won everywhere he's been, a NEPSAC title, a national prep title, and a Player of the Year award, and he has held his own against the best young players in the world.

Illinois tips off its exhibition at Cincinnati this afternoon, and it's our first chance to see this freshman class against somebody other than each other. Keep an eye on No. 23. He might not have the ball much. But watch where he goes when he doesn't.

I-L-L. 🧡

Reporting compiled from 247Sports (Illini Inquirer), FightingIllini.com, The News-Gazette, the New England Basketball Journal, Sports Illustrated (Illinois on SI), On3 (Orange and Blue News), Hoopinformatics, and The Daily Illini.