Summer of growth for ‘09 Illini recruit
May 4, 2008
John Brumbaugh
From the Peoria Journal Star:
So the 6-foot-8, 220-pound high school junior - who committed to the Illinois basketball program last winter - cut down on his AAU season and made it a priority to build his body and his game.
By concentrating on the Adidas Nations program - a series of weekend development camps where improving skills and fundamentals comes before competition - the suburban St. Louis forward from Lafayette High School took a different approach in preparing for college.
“It’s physically impossible to do all the trips I planned,” he said. “I put together a calendar. I would have been home two weekends the whole summer. We made the Adidas Nations a priority. It’s a good experience. I get a lot of coaching there. The workouts are really beneficial.
“I’ve done AAU since I was a seventh-grader. I’ve been to all the major tournaments at least twice. The biggest need for my game right now is in the weight room or the gym working on my skills. I know where I’m going to college. I don’t have to impress anybody. (Illinois coach Bruce Weber) knows what I’m doing and how hard I’m working.”