November 12, 2026 | Men's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Thursday the signing of Mason Martin to a Big Ten Athletics Aid Agreement.
Martin is a 6-foot-5-inch, 180-pound shooting guard from Naperville, Illinois. He attends Neuqua Valley High School, under the direction of head coach Todd Sutton, and played AAU with Breakaway Basketball for coach Billy Jacklin on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
A four-star guard, Martin is the top-ranked player in the state of Illinois in the Class of 2027, ranked No. 118 overall by Rivals and No. 121 by 247Sports.
Martin was a second-team All-State selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association as a junior after helping lead Neuqua to a school-record 32 wins in a 32-2 campaign that included a 29-game win streak and 4A regional championship. He averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, and two assists for the Wildcats. Martin made a total of 117 three-pointers on 44% shooting behind the arc, and he also was a 93.5% free-throw shooter. His top performance came in last year's season opener when he scored 41 points behind a program-record 11 treys vs. West Aurora (Nov. 25, 2025).
This past spring and summer, Martin led the 3SSB circuit with 80 made 3-pointers, shooting nearly 41% from three while averaging 16.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assist for Breakaway Basketball.
"We have added one of the best shooters in the country in the Class of 2027 in Mason Martin," head coach Brad Underwood said. "He can really shoot it and fits our style of play as a high-IQ guard with the ability to process."
