Elite Texas big man Elijah Thomas enjoys process

"This will be my first time there," Thomas said. "I've never been anywhere in Illinois before."

Thomas has developed a strong bond with Groce and UI assistant Jamall Walker, who visited him Wednesday in Lancaster, Texas. It's a connection that will continue regardless of where the highly coveted big man decides to play his college ball.

"They know me so well," he said. "They started recruiting me real early."

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