NORMAL, Ill. – Taylor Bruninga, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound incoming freshman forward from Illini Bluffs High School has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the Illinois State men's basketball team, ISU head coach Dan Muller announced Tuesday.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome another great student-athlete from the state of Illinois to our basketball program," Muller said. "Taylor had one of the best high school seasons of any player in the state and is deserving of all his postseason accolades. When you factor in the type of worker and competitor Taylor is, we believe he is only scratching the surface of what he will be as a player. We are looking forward to helping Taylor continue to develop his talents on the court, as well as help him excel academically here at Illinois State."
A native of Mapleton, Illinois, Bruninga averaged 33.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Illini Bluffs in 2016-17. He shot 60.4 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from 3-point range and 88.2 percent at the free throw line. For his efforts, Bruninga was named IHSA Class 2A first team all-state by the Associated Press and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. He also garnered 2017 Peoria Journal Star Small-School Boys Basketball Player of the Year recognition and finished fifth in Illinois Mr. Basketball voting. Bruninga was the only IHSA Class 1A or 2A player to place in the top 15.
Bruninga finished his career as the leading scorer and rebounder in Illini Bluffs history. As a senior, he helped Illini Bluffs advance to the IHSA PORTA Regional championship game. Bruninga also qualified for the IHSA Three-Point Showdown and the Canton Kiwanis All-Star game, where he scored 31 points and was named the game's most valuable player. As a junior in 2015-16, Bruninga averaged 25 points per game for Illini Bluffs. Additionally, Bruninga earned all-state baseball honors as a pitcher.
Bruninga's great uncle, Duane Bruninga, ranks 47th on the Illinois State men's basketball scoring list with 979 points. He played in 96 games at ISU during his four-year career (1963-67).
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