Recruit Watch

February 20, 2008

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Paul had a nice week as he helped Warren continue its winning ways. The junior had 27 points against Mundelein, and 13 points against Hoffman Estates. The Blue Devils have won five straight and will look to keep rolling against Wauconda this week.

 

Recruit Watch

February 20, 2008

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Bertrand had 17 points in a win over LaSalle-Peru, and had 18 points and a career-high 10 assists in a win against Streator to help the Golden Warriors capture at least a share of the NCIC Reagan title. Sterling will face Burlington Central and Ottawa this week.

 

Recruit Watch

February 20, 2008

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Simpson had 25 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Crane, and 10 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Farragut. Although Simeon fell short of a third consecutive city title, the Wolverines still have the 3A playoffs to look forward to as they go for their third straight state title

 

This is more like it

February 20, 2008

From the Lake County News Sun:

With Jereme Richmond coming up huge in crunch time and four players scoring in double figures, Waukegan High’s boys basketball team beat highly regarded Maine East 62-52 in Park Ridge on Tuesday night in a non-conference game.

The win evened the Bulldogs’ record at 12-12 heading into Thursday’s tough game at powerful Loyola.

Richmond had just four points in the first three quarters, but scored 12 of the Bulldogs’ last 15 points after Maine East pulled within 47-46 with 5:45 remaining. Richmond also hit six straight free throws down the stretch.

“Play hard … be aggressive,” is what Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw said he wanted from his players this week.

 

weber_ohio_state.jpgRemember all that offensive progress the Illini basketball showed the last few games? Well, the Illini didn’t appear to remember it Saturday evening.

Reverting to the same offensive difficulties that have plagued the team for much of the season, the Illini waged a sluggish battle with Penn State, losing 51-50 on a pair of free throws by freshman guard Talor Battle with 7.1 seconds to play.

More from the Decatur Herald & Review.

 

From ChicagoSports.com:

Richmond laughs when asked if there’s any chance he could pull an Eric Gordon on the Illini. Gordon reneged on his commitment and wound up at Indiana.

“That’s not going to happen,” said Richmond, rated the nation’s No. 2 sophomore by recruiting analyst Van Coleman. “And that’s nothing against Eric Gordon. He did what he felt was best for him, and I can respect that.

“I’m even more excited about my commitment (last year) to Illinois after seeing all the top recruits they are getting. (Juniors) Brandon Paul (of Warren) and D.J. Richardson (Peoria Central) are guys I know pretty well.

“Then you’ve got 6-9 Stan Simpson (Simeon senior) and also Joseph Bertrand (Sterling junior). Man, I almost forgot about Crandall Head (of Rich South, ranked by some the No. 2 sophomore in the state behind Richmond).”

 

Why Brandon Paul Is #1 In 2009

February 14, 2008

From the Chicago Sun Times:

The biggest reason why we tab Paul as the #1 junior in Illinois is because he has a considerably higher degree of versatility than any of the other top guards in the class, including Peoria Central’s D.J. Richardson, Sterling’s Joe Bertrand and Whitney Young’s Chris Colvin. Simply put, Paul is the most well-rounded offensively of any of these players. Not only is Paul an outstanding long-range shooter, but he is also highly athletic, is an outstanding passer and has above-average ballhandling skills which allow him to consistently beat opponents to the basket in one-on-one situations.

Secondly, and a factor that we believe is just as important, is the intangibles that Paul brings to the table. He plays as hard from start to finish as any player in the junior class and never takes a play off. The same cannot be said about either Richardson or Bertrand despite their enormous skill level. Paul’s outstanding work ethic is especially noticeable at the defensive end, as he uses his incredibly long wingspan to get into the passing lanes and convert baskets off of turnovers. And the best part part is that he believes there are still things that he can improve on and he works every day on trying to become even better. You have to love a kid who thinks that way.

 

From the Chicago Sun Times:

“We started out slow because of some behavior issues [Richmond was suspended for fighting and missed the Bulldogs’ first three games],” Richmond said. “Throughout the course of the season every team has ups and downs. I think we’re really starting to come together.”

According to event promoter Bob Rylko, 27 players in the 13-year history of the City-Suburban Showdown have gone on to play in the NBA, a subject that is clearly on Richmond’s mind.

During the press conference, the 6-6 sophomore repeatedly referred to his “one-year” at Illinois — which is probably interesting news for Illini coach Bruce Weber.

 

weber_ohio_state.jpgTrent Meacham made all five of this 3-pointers and scored 19 points as Illinois continued its dominance of Minnesota with an 84-60 victory Tuesday night.

Meacham bounced back from a 1-for-10 shooting performance in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Indiana last week, going 6-for-7 from the field for Illinois (11-14, 3-9 Big Ten), which has now won 18 straight games over the Gophers. That’s the longest active streak in the Big Ten.

Read more from Yahoo Sports!.

 

bruce_weber_indiana.jpgEric Gordon knew the frustration would come pouring from the stands, so he really wasn’t surprised even if he looked a little shellshocked in his first game at Illinois.

Indiana’s star freshman was booed, taunted and cursed. He was sloppy early on, giving Illinois fans something to cheer, but came through late for the Hoosiers.

Gordon hit a clutch 3-pointer late in regulation and Armon Bassett scored 11 of his 16 points in the second overtime to lead No. 14 Indiana to a 83-79 victory against Illinois Thursday night.

Read more from Yahoo! Sports.

 

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