Recruiting Thread

[maggsmaggs]

According to a rival article by Jerry Meyer, Evan Turner might commit to Illinois very soon. http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=551566 It's a pay article, this is the preview you get when you go to the link.

Word has been floating around that Evan Turner is on the verge of committing to Illinois after his visit there last weekend. Turner, a 6-foot-7, 185-pound perimeter player from St. Joseph's High School in Chicago, told Rivals.com that he still needs to think about it, but a commitment to Illinois could happen before the July evaluation period.

 

This is certainly very good news.

Edited June 9, 2006 by maggsmaggs

[whitesoxfan101]

According to a rival article by Jerry Meyer, Evan Turner might commit to Illinois very soon. http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=551566 It's a pay article, this is the preview you get when you go to the link.

This is certainly very good news.

 

Great news, a wing like him is exactly what the Illini need, and he's quite a talent.

[whitesoxfan99]

Craig Brackins....any good? 4 star picked Iowa State over Illinois and Indiana, and Clemson and Washington.

TAKE THAT, Illiana.

 

Brackins didn't have an offer from Illinois and Boyz to Men is an absolute joke of a school. I would be surprised if it isn't one of the prep schools banned by the NCAA.

[thedoctor]

Brackins didn't have an offer from Illinois and Boyz to Men is an absolute joke of a school. I would be surprised if it isn't one of the prep schools banned by the NCAA.

 

it wasn't.

[nitetrain8601]

Wow, they compare Turner to Shaun Livingston.

[whitesoxfan101]

Wow, they compare Turner to Shaun Livingston.

 

They have almost identical size and skill sets (strengths and weaknesses)......but Turner isn't as good as SL, he's unreal.

[Heads22]

Brackins didn't have an offer from Illinois and Boyz to Men is an absolute joke of a school. I would be surprised if it isn't one of the prep schools banned by the NCAA.

 

I know both these things. Doesn't mean he's gonna suck.

[whitesoxfan101]

 

That video is from a game at the Illini practice facility during a camp earlier this month between 2007 big man verbals Mike Tisdale and Bill Cole. It's only about 3 minutes, but definitely suggested viewing, especially if these 2 verbals make you nervous in terms of how good they are.

 

I will say that I have seen Cole in person in a few times, and seeing this video (which shows off Tisdale a lot better) shows me why Bruce wanted (and got) both of them, as they are different in a lot of ways. Cole is more of a 3/4 combo player who is pretty quick and athletic for a 6'9 guy, can shoot 3's, but is also a pretty good shot blocker and mid range shooter. As for Tisdale.....I think he could be a MONSTER steal. Obviously playing at a Class A school means he will have his doubters and be overlooked, but he's a legit 7'1, has range out to the 3 point line and beyond, a VERY quick and high release on his shot (a la Brian Cook), and is surprisingly athletic and quick for a guy that size who is only his age. Also a very very impressive shot blocker.

 

Overall, they both need to (and will gain weight), but I think Cole seems like a guy who will be a solid starter/super 6th man type here. As for Tisdale, more time to develop, maybe a redshirt year, and a lot of cheeseburgers....and wow he could be just a star player. He excites me as much as any recruit we've gotten not named Eric Gordon since the 2002 superclass.

 

Figured you might be interested (Illini fans especially). It's good to see us getting talent like this, since we will need it with Thad recruiting at tOSU, and now Kelvin Sampson who is a proven very good coach at IU, along with Izzo and Bo Ryan of course as well.

[chimpy2121]

Five-star receiver Arrelious Benn has narrowed his choices down to four: FSU, UofI, ND, and USC. At this point I would guess ND would be the frontrunner. All I know is I would be estatic if he chose FSU.

 

Arrelious Benn

[nitetrain8601]

Five-star receiver Arrelious Benn has narrowed his choices down to four: FSU, UofI, ND, and USC. At this point I would guess ND would be the frontrunner. All I know is I would be estatic if he chose FSU.

 

Arrelious Benn

 

 

U of I, DO IT BENN! BE A SAVIOR!

[thedoctor]

 

That video is from a game at the Illini practice facility during a camp earlier this month between 2007 big man verbals Mike Tisdale and Bill Cole. It's only about 3 minutes, but definitely suggested viewing, especially if these 2 verbals make you nervous in terms of how good they are.

 

I will say that I have seen Cole in person in a few times, and seeing this video (which shows off Tisdale a lot better) shows me why Bruce wanted (and got) both of them, as they are different in a lot of ways. Cole is more of a 3/4 combo player who is pretty quick and athletic for a 6'9 guy, can shoot 3's, but is also a pretty good shot blocker and mid range shooter. As for Tisdale.....I think he could be a MONSTER steal. Obviously playing at a Class A school means he will have his doubters and be overlooked, but he's a legit 7'1, has range out to the 3 point line and beyond, a VERY quick and high release on his shot (a la Brian Cook), and is surprisingly athletic and quick for a guy that size who is only his age. Also a very very impressive shot blocker.

 

Overall, they both need to (and will gain weight), but I think Cole seems like a guy who will be a solid starter/super 6th man type here. As for Tisdale, more time to develop, maybe a redshirt year, and a lot of cheeseburgers....and wow he could be just a star player. He excites me as much as any recruit we've gotten not named Eric Gordon since the 2002 superclass.

 

Figured you might be interested (Illini fans especially). It's good to see us getting talent like this, since we will need it with Thad recruiting at tOSU, and now Kelvin Sampson who is a proven very good coach at IU, along with Izzo and Bo Ryan of course as well.

 

great video, thanks for posting it.

 

tisdale has a nice shooting touch, and cole is a bit more athletic than i'd read to believe. very encouraging.

[thedoctor]

according to some folks on an illinois board, arrelious benn was on campus yesterday.

[illinilaw08]

according to some folks on an illinois board, arrelious benn was on campus yesterday.

 

That's good news for the Illini. I'm cautiously optimistic about Benn, I mean the fact is that Illinois has sold him enough to get into his top 4, beating out tons of other good programs already. Zook is a recruiter, now let's see if he can coach.

[whitesoxfan101]

Benn is an even bigger recruit than Juice. If you can get a verbal from him (a top 10 player NATIONALLY), then this class for the Illini could blow up.

Edited June 21, 2006 by whitesoxfan101

[AddisonStSox]

That's good news for the Illini. I'm cautiously optimistic about Benn, I mean the fact is that Illinois has sold him enough to get into his top 4, beating out tons of other good programs already. Zook is a recruiter, now let's see if he can coach.

 

I'll save you the wait--he can't.

[chimpy2121]

The latest opinion on Benn...

 

When the first full rankings were recently released, Benn came in as the No. 2 wide receiver in the country. It was a no-brainer to make him a five-star recruit with his amazing combination of size (6-2/210) and speed (4.45 40). Last year for Dunbar HS, Benn posted 1,130 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He was also a top performer at the State College NIKE Camp back in April. In a recent update, Benn said he would like to have his decision by his birthday on September 8th.

 

FSU's Interest: With the loss of Brent Brewer to pro baseball, there is a little bit more of a need to sign wide receivers with this class. At the very least, the Seminole coaches would like to sign one top notch player here. Benn is about as top notch as they come being the nation's No. 2 ranked wideout. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, the five-star prospect is a big and physical receiver, something FSU really covets in its offense. Even though Benn lives in the Northeast he continues to show a strong interest in the Seminoles. He hopes to visit FSU this summer along with USC, Illinois and Southern Cal.

 

FSU's main competition: Notre Dame and Southern Cal

 

Recruiting coach: John Lilly

 

Determining Factor: How will his trip to FSU go this summer. If Benn makes it down to Tallahassee this summer it could decide where the 'Noles will fit in his final plans.

[Fotop]

What's that saying we have around here? "If X happens, then I'll eat my hat?"

 

Well if Benn goes to Illinois, I will eat my hat. Not saying he's going to ND, but come on...there's no way U of I beats out all the schools that are in on him. That or Zook has a big bag of money for him/incriminating photos of him and I'll be dining on a hat.

[Palehosefan]

Prospects aren't always the same. Some of them want to be a part of a huge program, others want to be the cornerstone that gets a program off the ground. Zook is a very good recruiter, Illinois is an elite academic school with a national reputation in other sports, and "Juice" would be his QB for 2-3 years at least. That's why I have felt all along that the Illini would be a major player in his recruitment. He might not be able to turn down ND in the end, but it will be close.

[Heads22]

Sounds like Bates is trying to work his mojo on players to come to ISU, including Bernstine.

 

It still boggles me that the kid has ISU, Arizona St, Nebraska and USC listed as his interested schools on Rivals and he picked ISU.....

[Palehosefan]

Heads, only ISU and Nebraska had offered before Bates committed.

 

With Bates, Iowa State isn’t only getting a top prospect, but they’re getting a different type of recruiter as well. Phillip isn’t just sitting back and enjoying his summer, he’s off at camps preaching the good word that Ames has to offer to other recruit around the Midwest.

 

 

 

“I think that Phillip believes that Iowa State has the opportunity to do some fantastic things and to part of something. He’s really excited about that and he wants these othe

 

ISU got a good one, for more than one reason. It gets thrown around a lot right now, especially if you are black and can run, but he really reminds me of a smaller Vince Young. Has a similar quirky throwing motion, similar shotgun set in high school, similar arm strength, and an upright running motion with 4.5-4.6 speed. Granted, he's 3 inches shorter and about 40 pounds lighter, but he could be a very good one.

[Heads22]

Yeah, I know he was only offered by Nebraska, but our typical recruits are interested in ISU, Northern Iowa and Illinois State....

[chimpy2121]

What's that saying we have around here? "If X happens, then I'll eat my hat?"

 

Well if Benn goes to Illinois, I will eat my hat. Not saying he's going to ND, but come on...there's no way U of I beats out all the schools that are in on him. That or Zook has a big bag of money for him/incriminating photos of him and I'll be dining on a hat.

 

This article is good news for you...

 

Benn hits Hollywood

 

Saturday night's Saugus "Under the Lights" Passing Tournament was full of stars both on, and off the field.

 

 

Benn will play live on ESPN when Dunbar takes on Coolidge and Marvin Austin this fall

Making a cameo appearance on the Left Coast was Dunbar five-star wide receiver Arrelious Benn. In town to unofficially visit USC and UCLA, Benn came out to watch Jimmy Clausen and Marc Tyler lead Oaks Christian to a thrilling passing league victory.

 

After recovering from a slight case of jet-lag, Benn hit Los Angeles to visit the campus of USC.

 

"The flight from Washington D.C. was five hours, so the first thing I did when I came out here was sleep," laughed Benn. "But I did get out to see USC yesterday. I saw the campus and the coaches. I also spoke to the academic advisers and toured the facilities. It was cool"

 

Having met both Head coach Pete Carroll and running backs coach Todd McNair during the May evaluation period, Benn further acquainted himself with what makes the Trojans' offense tick.

 

"It was great to be able to sit down with those guys and break down film," said Benn. "The concept of their offense is great, and the way they do things is unheard of. I really like their quarterback situation and everything else is set up well too."

 

USC, Notre Dame and Florida State remain Benn's top three college choices. The trip to Los Angeles did nothing to hurt the Trojans standing with the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Rivals100 selection.

 

"I like SC a lot, and their sitting high right now," said Benn. "You hear so much negative stuff about SC. People say, 'they stomp out players and you're not going to play there . . .'

 

"Everywhere you go, you're going to have to compete, so they sit high. I'm definitely glad I went out to visit them."

 

Outside USC, Benn has also tried to absorb the SoCal lifestyle.

 

"The weather is different out here," said Benn. "The weather is good, but it's hotter than I'm use to, although it's not as humid as back home. The people are nice, and they love their football. As a whole, it's not quite what I expected.

 

"Maybe it's just the area we're in right now (Santa Clarita), but it's not real city like I thought it would be. Although, it's not Hollywood, which I'm going to go sightsee tomorrow."

 

Before leaving Los Angeles Sunday, Benn will also visit the campus of UCLA, giving him the opportunity to compare the two bitter crosstown rivals.

 

Saturday, Benn visited two future rivals. Watching from the sidelines, Benn was impressed with the Oaks Christian offense, led by Notre Dame commitment, Jimmy Clausen, and USC commitment, Marc Tyler.

 

"They both played great," said Benn. "Jimmy looked on-point. He threw some great passes down the middle to Tyler, and Marc made some big catches.

 

"Both those guys are worth the attention they get, which is why they came back to win tonight."

 

Oaks Christian beat Canyon Country Canyon 34-26 in the tournament.

 

USCFootball.com will have exclusive video highlights and interviews from the Saugus Passing Tournament later.

 

To me, it sounds like he didn't fully enjoy the visit. Also, if he doesn't like warm weather, FSU is f***ed. It's got to be ND in the lead.

[nitetrain8601]

This article is good news for you...

 

 

 

To me, it sounds like he didn't fully enjoy the visit. Also, if he doesn't like warm weather, FSU is f***ed. It's got to be ND in the lead.

 

ND or the Illini. HELP TURN AROUND THE ILLINI BABY!

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Heads, i hear stinnett opened his recruitment back on and is going to visit KU

[SleepyWhiteSox]

This article is good news for you...

 

 

 

To me, it sounds like he didn't fully enjoy the visit. Also, if he doesn't like warm weather, FSU is f***ed. It's got to be ND in the lead.

 

FSU student, alumni, or fan?