How Benet basketball star plans to make an impact at Illinois this season
Amid the uproar of celebration, the first person Benet Academy coach Gene Heidkamp saw was his point guard rushing toward him for a hug. The final buzzer sounded seconds earlier, announcing the Redwings first state title, a 55-54 win over Warren. As the rest of the team mobbed each other at center court of the State Farm Center, Heidkamp and Blake Fagbemi embraced near the sideline.
“It was crazy, honestly,” Fagbemi said of the moment. “I couldn’t believe it, I was so happy. All the struggles we went through that season finally paid off in that moment.”
That contest was Fagbemi’s last of his high school career, but his collegiate career will start at the same place he hoisted that elusive championship trophy – Champaign, Illinois. Fagbemi committed to the University of Illinois on May 7, not only fulfilling his dream of playing NCAA basketball, but also finding himself at a higher level than he anticipated.
Before his senior season, Fagbemi committed to Truman State, a Division II school in Kirksville, Missouri. But after Truman State parted ways with head coach Jeff Horner in April, Fagbemi reopened his recruitment. Not long after, Heidkamp received a call from one of Illinois’ coaches expressing interest in Fagbemi.
The guard said he was initially surprised to hear from a Big Ten program Illinois, but after a senior season where he averaged 12.6 points and a team-best 6.5 assists per game, Fagbemi knew he could compete against anyone.
The key to reaching that point was both physical and mental – increasing his strength and boosting his confidence.
After his junior season, Fagbemi hit the weight room hard. He trained with Benet’s strength and conditioning coach Morgan Nowitzki, who also worked with the Redwings football team. Fagbemi said his drills revolved around heavy bench press and squats.
“That helps a lot with my explosiveness, durability, speed, and strength, Fagbemi said. “So I feel that was the main thing for me.”
Fagbemi played basketball all his life, and he’s always exuded confidence, but it would depend on the moment. This season, Heidkamp taught him to embrace constant confidence.
“You gotta be confident,” Fagbemi said. “If you’re not confident, the more you’ll try not to mess up. You’ll mess up more. He’s really installed that in my brain.”
Coupled with Fagbemi’s belief in himself is empowering others on the court. The point guard said the correct way to play basketball is to read the defense and involve his teammates in scoring. Benet’s 2024-25 team featured four different double-digit scorers.
“His ability to make others better, I think that’s the sign of a player who can really impact the game,” Heidkamp said. “He can hurt [the opposition] in many different ways, but he has the ability to create for himself and his teammates.”
Joining a premier program like Illinois is just the start of Fagbemi’s future. He said he still has room to improve, particularly with his outside shooting. The Illini qualified for the NCAA Tournament for five consecutive seasons, advancing at least one round in all but one appearance.
Carving out a role for himself in Champaign won’t be easy, but, just like his style of play, Fagbemi found purpose beyond himself. His mind returned to the State Farm Center sidelines, where winning a state championship meant helping Heidkamp reach the mountaintop.
“Especially winning a state title, he’ll always tell you it didn’t really matter to him,” Fagbemi said. “Whether that’s true or not, there’s definitely a level of excitement to that. So to be able to bring in his first state title was such a joy to me. Just learning that everything you do should be about other people and not yourself.”