Illikainen earlier became the first sophomore in Grand Rapids boys basketball history to go over 1,000 career points and has over 1,000 rebounds. He has a chance to become the state’s all-time leading rebounder.
Alex Illikainen, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Grand Rapids, is considered the top player in the state in the Class of 2015. Illikainen helped lead Grand Rapids to the Class AAA state boy’s basketball tournament for the third straight year.
Illikainen earlier became the first sophomore in Grand Rapids boys basketball history to go over 1,000 career points and has over 1,000 rebounds. He has a chance to become the state’s all-time leading rebounder.
Illikainen talked to GopherHole.com as he played with the Cyclones in the Nike 16-and-under qualifier at Bloomington Jefferson.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment right now?
Alex Illikainen: Just the seven schools (Minnesota, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Creighton, NDSU, Oregon and Nebraska) that have offered me, I have been talking to a lot. I have also been talking to Indiana, Kansas, recently Cal and a couple of other schools.
Gopher Hole: What things have you been really working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Alex Illikainen: Lately, I have been working on my perimeter game. Jump shots. Threes. Dribbling a lot. Helping out by dribbling the ball. I have to keep working down low. I really dominate in the paint and that is what I have been working on.
Gopher Hole: You played against a very, athletic Mac Irvin team Saturday that had plenty of size in a 82-54 loss. Do you think playing against that type of competition helps you as it lets you know what you need to work on to become a better player?
Alex Illikainen: We played them in Chicago and we lost by four points and we played really good. I think that it is helping a lot playing against these good teams. We just had a little drawback right there, but I think playing against these guys, is really improving me.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about going to college or individual camps this summer?
Alex Illikainen: I am going to the Pangos All-American Camp out in Long Beach next weekend.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to visit some schools in the near future?
Alex Illikainen: I am going to see where we are going for tournaments. I’d like to get a couple of visits in.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, Minnesota has a new coaching staff since the last time I have talked to you. What has been the impressions of the new staff?
Alex Illikainen: I know (new Gopher assistant) Ben Johnson from Nebraska. I have a good relationship with him and I went down to see them both, Pitino and Johnson and had a good meeting. It sounds like it is going to be a great fit for them.
Gopher Hole: How do you think that your style fits with them? They obviously want to be more up-tempo and one of your strengths is your ability to run the floor. How do you think you fit with that kind of style?
Alex Illikainen: I think that I fit. I think that I would have fit with Tubby and Pitino, so I think that is going to be pretty good.
Gopher Hole: Does having Ben Johnson help them because obviously you knew him from Nebraska? You probably did not know Coach Pitino before he got hired here. Do you think that helps Minnesota because they have a coach on their staff that you knew before?
Alex Illikainen: Yes. He is from DeLSalle. He played here. Everyone knows him and I think that will help get a lot of kids. That is a good thing to have.
Gopher Hole: I know that is still far away, but have you thought when you might even try to decide on a college? Have you thought that far yet?
Alex Illikainen: Right now, I am just going to keep playing, keep getting better and let people see me and not really focus on where I am going to go to yet. Just trying to absorb it all.
Gopher Hole: What are your AAU plans for the summer? Have you decided where all you are going to be?
Alex Illikainen: We are going to figure that out by the next week, our official plans. We don’t really know. I think, for sure, is Vegas. The other two weekends are up in the air.
Gopher Hole: How about your high school team? Have you had a chance to work with them and what are the expectations for next season?
Alex Illikainen: It is definitely high. Definitely try to get back to the state tournament. Play that last weekend. We are going to get going here in June. Working hard every day. I think that we are going to be pretty good.