Shaun Livingston

[whitesoxfan99]

The #1 High School basketball player in America is coming to Champaign on Saturday. His list is down to Duke, Zona, and U of I. Lets hope he makes the right decision and continues the Peoria-Champaign connection.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

The #1 High School basketball player in America is coming to Champaign on Saturday.  His list is down to Duke, Zona, and U of I.  Lets hope he makes the right decision and continues the Peoria-Champaign connection.

i just hope he doesnt choose Duke

 

 

but by the way, isnt Telfair thought of as the best High Scholler right now?

[whitesoxfan99]

i just hope he doesnt choose Duke

 

 

but by the way, isnt Telfair thought of as the best High Scholler right now?

No, Livingston is better than Telfair. Telfair is great don't get me wrong but part of the reason he has the hype he does is due to the fact he is from New York. Livingston is pretty much the consensus #1 player in this class according to most recruiting analysts.

[Chisoxrd5]

The #1 High School basketball player in America is coming to Champaign on Saturday.  His list is down to Duke, Zona, and U of I.  Lets hope he makes the right decision and continues the Peoria-Champaign connection.

Love the image....and I have my fingers and toes crossed that Shaun Livingston joins Dee And Deron In Champaign!!! Heck, If Livingston decides to come here that turns a subpar recruiting year into a top five class (Livingston and Pruitt!!!!)

 

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!

[whitesoxfan99]

Love the image....and I have my fingers and toes crossed that Shaun Livingston joins Dee And Deron In Champaign!!! Heck, If Livingston decides to come here that turns a subpar recruiting year into a top five class (Livingston and Pruitt!!!!)

 

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!

Other good news is that U of I the current favorite of Top 25 Junior David Palmer. I saw him play when he came for an unofficial visit last month and he is going to be a great player.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

i just hope he doesnt choose Duke

 

 

but by the way, isnt Telfair thought of as the best High Scholler right now?

No, Livingston is better than Telfair. Telfair is great don't get me wrong but part of the reason he has the hype he does is due to the fact he is from New York. Livingston is pretty much the consensus #1 player in this class according to most recruiting analysts.

oh ok, i dont follow high school ball much, i wait till they get to college, so i didnt know, thanks

[whitesoxfan99]

oh ok, i dont follow high school ball much, i wait till they get to college, so i didnt know, thanks

No problem.

[Chisoxrd5]

Love the image....and I have my fingers and toes crossed that Shaun Livingston joins Dee And Deron In Champaign!!! Heck, If Livingston decides to come here that turns a subpar recruiting year into a top five class (Livingston and Pruitt!!!!)

 

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!

Other good news is that U of I the current favorite of Top 25 Junior David Palmer. I saw him play when he came for an unofficial visit last month and he is going to be a great player.

Really I dont know much about Palmer but I have heard he has major skills...As for Pruitt I have seen him play quite a few times and he will definitely solidify the PF position for the Illini...Hes a strong kid!

 

All i know is I'm ready to get the show on the road, lets hope Champaign is shining in all its glory this weekend for SL!!

[whitesox61382]

i just hope he doesnt choose Duke

 

 

but by the way, isnt Telfair thought of as the best High Scholler right now?

No, Livingston is better than Telfair. Telfair is great don't get me wrong but part of the reason he has the hype he does is due to the fact he is from New York. Livingston is pretty much the consensus #1 player in this class according to most recruiting analysts.

I follow basketball recruiting religiously and I would have to disagree with you on your belief that Livingston is the best high school player. In all but 1 of the creditible ranks that I have seen Dwight Howard has been ranked as the top player. Furthermore, there have been numerous articles from places like ESPN and Rivals that clearly say that Howard is the top high school player. To take it a step further, rumor is that Howard might be the 1st player taken in next years draft if he declares(which is highly likely). Don't get me wrong, Livingston is a great player and ranked 2nd or 3rd in most rankings, but he is not better then Howard IMO(I have seen both Howard and Livingston play in person) and the experts opinion. I hate to burst you bubble as well, but there was a recent premium article out that said Duke and Arizona are 1-2 at this point with Illinois at 3 in regard to Livingston. You better hope that his visit changes his mind, but in the end I think he will end up at either Duke or Arizona(as do most of the experts).

[WSoxShuf]

sl is going to duke.

Illinois wishes they had a class similiar to Sasha Kaun, Russel Robinson, and darrel jackson. Thanks Bill Self

[whitesoxfan99]

i just hope he doesnt choose Duke

 

 

but by the way, isnt Telfair thought of as the best High Scholler right now?

No, Livingston is better than Telfair. Telfair is great don't get me wrong but part of the reason he has the hype he does is due to the fact he is from New York. Livingston is pretty much the consensus #1 player in this class according to most recruiting analysts.

I follow basketball recruiting religiously and I would have to disagree with you on your belief that Livingston is the best high school player. In all but 1 of the creditible ranks that I have seen Dwight Howard has been ranked as the top player. Furthermore, there have been numerous articles from places like ESPN and Rivals that clearly say that Howard is the top high school player. To take it a step further, rumor is that Howard might be the 1st player taken in next years draft if he declares(which is highly likely). Don't get me wrong, Livingston is a great player and ranked 2nd or 3rd in most rankings, but he is not better then Howard IMO(I have seen both Howard and Livingston play in person) and the experts opinion. I hate to burst you bubble as well, but there was a recent premium article out that said Duke and Arizona are 1-2 at this point with Illinois at 3 in regard to Livingston. You better hope that his visit changes his mind, but in the end I think he will end up at either Duke or Arizona(as do most of the experts).

Yeah, you could definately argue that Howard is better than Livingston. I personally don't care about Howard because there is no chance that he ever sees a college basketball court. I really am not as big a fan of the NBA as I used to be because it has turned into a developmental league. Oh, and I agree that Duke is the favorite, but that usually is the case until a guy takes his official visit at another school. Pruitt was considered a done deal for MSU after taking his visit there, a week and a half later he committed to U of I. The odds are against Illinios, but Livingston has said all along he is making the decision and he will choose where he feels most comfortable.

[southsider2k5]

Out of curiousity, where do these guys go to HS?

[whitesoxfan99]

Out of curiousity, where do these guys go to HS?

Dwight Howard is from Georgia and Livingston plays at Peoria Central in Peoria, IL.

[aboz56]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings. They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville. Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play. That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have). Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

[whitesoxfan99]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

theinsidershoops.com also has Howard #1. Honestly, I was being biased when I said Livingston is the number one player in the country. I do think he is as good as Howard and really, any player in the top 10 is an absolute stud and it doesn't matter how they are ranked.

[aboz56]

Love the image....and I have my fingers and toes crossed that Shaun Livingston joins Dee And Deron In Champaign!!! Heck, If Livingston decides to come here that turns a subpar recruiting year into a top five class (Livingston and Pruitt!!!!)

 

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!

Other good news is that U of I the current favorite of Top 25 Junior David Palmer. I saw him play when he came for an unofficial visit last month and he is going to be a great player.

BTW, Palmer isn't rated in the top 100 Juniors in Hoop Scoop.

 

Where'd you see that he's consensus top 25?

[ChiSox_Sonix]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

awww no one to UCONN

 

well looks like Okafor, Gordon, Villaneuva and crew will need to win it this year

[southsider2k5]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

IU with two of the top 5 players in the country. Damn Mike Davis is one hell of a recruiter.

[WSoxShuf]

That kid is not in the top 25, because he is a 2005 recruit. Those rankings are not out yet. Remember this, most top 10 recruits leave after one year, the key is what you can do with the players with raw talent.

 

hmmmm, there is one i can think of, ahh yes Drew Gooden.

[whitesoxfan99]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

IU with two of the top 5 players in the country. Damn Mike Davis is one hell of a recruiter.

Yeah, but don't be surprised if one of those guys goes pro.

[whitesoxfan99]

Love the image....and I have my fingers and toes crossed that Shaun Livingston joins Dee And Deron In Champaign!!! Heck, If Livingston decides to come here that turns a subpar recruiting year into a top five class (Livingston and Pruitt!!!!)

 

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!

Other good news is that U of I the current favorite of Top 25 Junior David Palmer. I saw him play when he came for an unofficial visit last month and he is going to be a great player.

BTW, Palmer isn't rated in the top 100 Juniors in Hoop Scoop.

 

Where'd you see that he's consensus top 25?

I never said consensus, but I really have to question their rankings if he is not in the top 100. He might not be a consensus top 25 but he should at a minimum be top 40. Here is where I got the info. Him and Hansbrough both visited U of I last month. Hansbrough is more highly regarded but I came away just as impressed by Palmer. Remember, I only saw them once though, I have also seen Luke Zeller play as he also visited U of I. All three are going to be great players, if U of I gets one I'll be happy, especially since the state of Illinois is stacked for '05.LINK

[whitesox61382]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

IU with two of the top 5 players in the country. Damn Mike Davis is one hell of a recruiter.

I am a Hoosier fan myself, and Davis has taken a lot of heat in regards to his recruiting ability before he pulled arguable the top class in 2004(some say Texas and some say IU depending of different rankings). Besides 2 guys in the top 5(in most ranking White is closer to 10th overall then 4th) they also have 2 consensus top 75 players(SF Vaden and SF Hardy) and another guy ranked in the top 100 in most rankings(SG Ratciff). IF that isn't enough there is a rumor that IU is going to attempt to get a 6th recruit and attempt to get clearance from the NCAA from the 5/8 rule. Rothbart, a 7 ft 190lb(skinny European born SF) from Cali, is down to Arizona and Indiana and recently came for a visit despite the fact that IU has 5 recruits. Another rumor is that Rothbart will commit IF Smith decides to go pro(which is about 50/50 at this point). Smith's dad was quoting as saying Smith was probably going to play 1-2 years of college ball, but most feel that if he is a guaranteed lottery pick he will skip college. IF all 5 kids do end up at IU(and possible Rothbart as well) the Big 10 better look out.

 

I have a feeling that Illinois will feel the affects of the lose of Self most in recruiting. Livingston would be a HUGE sign for Illinois. You better tell your buddies at Illinois to make signs and make Livingston feel loved if they want him.

[whitesoxfan99]

The source which I usually take the most serious is the Hoop Scoop for HS player rankings.  They've been doing them since 1983, based here out of Louisville.  Run by Clark Francis, who's at all of the big camps throughout the summer and has seen all of these guys play.  That said, here's his current top 10, with the schools they've committed to (if they have).  Also has their height, position and where they play.

 

1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA  

2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Committed: Arkansas

3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL  

4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Committed: Indiana

5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Committed: Indiana

6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA Committed: North Carolina

7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI   

8. Rudy Gay 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD  

9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Committed: Louisville

10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Committed: Texas

IU with two of the top 5 players in the country. Damn Mike Davis is one hell of a recruiter.

I am a Hoosier fan myself, and Davis has taken a lot of heat in regards to his recruiting ability before he pulled arguable the top class in 2004(some say Texas and some say IU depending of different rankings). Besides 2 guys in the top 5(in most ranking White is closer to 10th overall then 4th) they also have 2 consensus top 75 players(SF Vaden and SF Hardy) and another guy ranked in the top 100 in most rankings(SG Ratciff). IF that isn't enough there is a rumor that IU is going to attempt to get a 6th recruit and attempt to get clearance from the NCAA from the 5/8 rule. Rothbart, a 7 ft 190lb(skinny European born SF) from Cali, is down to Arizona and Indiana and recently came for a visit despite the fact that IU has 5 recruits. Another rumor is that Rothbart will commit IF Smith decides to go pro(which is about 50/50 at this point). Smith's dad was quoting as saying Smith was probably going to play 1-2 years of college ball, but most feel that if he is a guaranteed lottery pick he will skip college. IF all 5 kids do end up at IU(and possible Rothbart as well) the Big 10 better look out.

 

I have a feeling that Illinois will feel the affects of the lose of Self most in recruiting. Livingston would be a HUGE sign for Illinois. You better tell your buddies at Illinois to make signs and make Livingston feel loved if they want him.

Don't worry about us making signs that is already done. And the entire quad had had writing in chalk about Livingston too.There also will probably will be a crowd of over 1000 people at Ubben for the practice. There was about 500 for Hansbrough and Palmer and Livingston will probably get twice that. I'm not to worried about recruiting. I was before Pruitt but Weber winning him away from MSU was huge. He is nothing special, but that showed me that Weber can recruit. Also, the fact that we are on the short lists for 5 top 25 juniors is a good omen (I'm not saying we will get them though). As for those reported comments by Livingston, here is what he said in the News Gazette within the last couple days. This was a guy who posts on an Illini board that I visits summary as it is a paysite. Great article. Shaun says he is going to make the decision 100% on his own. Also says he has heard all the rumors that Illinois has started to fall behind duke, zona , and NC and says that is "Greatly Exaggerated." "This isnt a courtesy visit. Im going because im interested in attending the school." "They first recruited me, and have known me the longest. I also have lots of friends on the team."

 

Kudos to IU on their 2004 recruiting class. IMO it is the #1 class in the country. With that said I don't see both White and Smith making it onto campus. Even without one or the other IU's recruiting class is still top 3 nationally.

[whitesox61382]

Good luck in landing Livingston, although I hate to see other teams in the Big 10 become stronger, I love to see top players coming to the Big 10 and it creates some great games.

 

White is all but guaranteed to be wearing crimson and cream next year, has said he has no interest of skipping college and entering the draft. Smith is really the only guy that might skip college. Like I said its probably 50/50 at this point. Hardy said that he doesn't plan on signing until the spring, but most don't read too much into that.

[aboz56]

That kid is not in the top 25, because he is a 2005 recruit.  Those rankings are not out yet.  Remember this, most top 10 recruits leave after one year, the key is what you can do with the players with raw talent.

 

hmmmm, there is one i can think of, ahh yes Drew Gooden.

I looked at the 2005 rankings.

 

BTW, how do you know what rankings I looked at anyhow?