By Joe Henricksen

If diehard Illinois basketball fans can just forget about what is happening on the court this season, look past the recruiting failures of the last few years, they can find some healing. Yes, the committed players to Bruce Weber definitely helps ease the fact the program went from a national championship game to, well, what we're seeing now in such a short time. But it can't be underestimated the perfect move Weber made with the hiring of Jerrance Howard and what it has meant to the program.

Looking at it more closely, where would Weber and the future of the program be right now without Howard? Some will say it was a bit coincidental everything fell into place on the recruiting front once Howard was hired. That's up for debate. But the facts are....

Jerrance Howard is the biggest reason Alex Legion is at Illinois. Howard and Legion connected from day one at Kentucky, spent countless hours together there in a short period of time and, when things went south in Lexington for Legion, he was on his way to Champaign to join a coach he considers to be like a big brother.

While not discounting the impact Wayne McClain had on the recruitment of Peoria Central's D.J. Richardson -- D.J.'s dad is very fond of and greatly respects McClain -- adding Howard, a Peoria Central grad, greatly enhanced Illinois' chances. There are some who say Richardson was going to Illinois all along. There are others who have told me it was clearly up in the air but Howard finished it off.

If Richardson, who is sort of the pied piper of the class with how he is connected and communicates with players around the state, had not committed when he did, who knows if the dominoes that followed -- Warren's Brandon Paul and Sterling's Joseph Bertrand committing -- would have followed so closely. Momentum and timing were huge for Illinois in that recruiting flurry.

And then there is Crandall Head of Rich South, who the Hoops Report believes is the equal of prize commitment Jereme Richmond of Waukegan as far as a future prospect is concerned. Luther Head, Crandall's brother and major influence, is so close to Howard from their days together in Champaign he was in Howard's wedding last August.

In all of these recruiting scenarios, Howard fit like a hand in a glove.

But it's more than just the aforementioned quests and conquers in the recruiting world. I have now spoken with dozens of people, ranging from AAU coaches to high school coaches to committed players to non-committed players, about Jerrance Howard. And the truth is I have yet to find one person to say a bad thing about the guy. The lone negative has been "a little inexperienced."

The superlatives thrown around by anyone labeled as a good recruiter/assistant coach -- outgoing, passionate, energetic, enthusiastic, bubbly -- are all true in Howard's case. But when talking with everyone involved, the common denominator has been personal relationships and sincerity. And that's exactly what Howard says when we speak of recruiting. When talking about recruiting with Howard, he always points out in our conversations how he wants to "establish personal relationships, take care of our guys and sell the university on my own personal experiences."

And the connections for such a young coach go a long way. And it starts with Larry Butler, the prominent AAU coach of the Illinois Warriors program. The Butler/Weber/Illinois relationship has been strained in the past, to say the least. While that relationship has improved (a blog on that in the future), the band-aide can maybe finally come off in the near future and be completely healed with the arrival of Howard. Larry Butler thinks the world of Jerrance Howard, who played for Butler for four years on the AAU circuit while in high school.

"He definitely gave them a shot in the arm," says Butler of Howard. "He came at a perfect time. He provides leadership to young kids, really relates to them. He adds a different type of adrenaline, adds some juice. Kids see him, love his bubbly personality and connect with him. He establishes relationships quickly with these kids and adds something different to their program."

Brian Davis is the coach of the high-profile Rising Stars AAU team that consists of Richmond and another Illinois target, Glenbrook South big man Jack Cooley. Howard knew Davis prior to even getting into coaching. Although they weren't "close friends" while at Illinois, the two both went to school there and knew one another in the 1990s.

"What you see is what you get," says Davis of Howard. "He's down-to-earth, passionate, a go-getter. The kids like him and feel like he knows what they as players are going through. He's young, easy to relate to and gets to know the player as a person.

And what about Cooley, the 6-8 junior who recently picked up offers from Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Illinois last week? Both Jack Cooley -- and his father, Jack, Sr. -- rave about Howard as well.

"Three words that describe Jerrance are genuine, sincere and conscientious," says Jack, Sr. in regard to his experience in dealing with Howard in the recruitment of his son. "What jumps out at you is his natural sincerity when he's talking to you. What he says he means."

And as far as the Cooley recruitment, the family will head to Notre Dame this weekend. Cooley has been on campus for a football game in South Bend and now will be there for a basketball weekend. Cooley, who has been to Wisconsin and Illinois to visit twice, fully expects this visit to be his last, with the plan being to make a decision shortly after the visit.

COOLEY RECRUITING NOTE: Rumors swirled that prized prospect Tyler Griffey out of Missouri committed to Illinois on Wednesday, which would greatly impact the Cooley/Illinois situation. As it stands, Illinois has one scholarship for the 2009 class with Griffey and Cooley the prime targets. The Hoops Report personally believes Notre Dame was in the lead going into this weekend's visit. A Griffey to Illinois commitment, which was reported by the News-Gazette newspaper in Champaign, could make the Cooley to Notre Dame possibility stronger.

For more information or to subscribe to the City/Suburban Hoops Report, now in its 13th year of publication, call (630)-408-6709 or e-mail hoopsreport@yahoo.com

Posted by Joe Henricksen at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

By Joe Henricksen

Where are the big men? Well, there are none. OK, that's a little extreme, but it's not too far from the truth as college

coaches search anywhere and everywhere in their quest to land a player 6-8 or taller. Thus, big men, in most

cases, are being recruited to play at a higher level than they are prepared to or should play at.

The process of recruiting big men literally filters all the way down to and impacts the lowest level of college

basketball. While the premier high-majors -- Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Florida, etc. -- swoop in

and nab the limited number of true, quality big men, the remainder of Division I schools will take what is left over,

often taking big chances along the way as long as that chance is 6-8 or bigger. The most common call or e-mail I

get is from a Division II, Division III or NAIA coach that wants a big man, any big man, that can at least run and catch

the ball. Truth be told, after scholarships are handed out and academic institutions out east come into Illinois and

nab any big man that breathes, there is little left. It's why you will often find a 6-3 or 6-4 four-man dominating at the

Division III level inside.

Drake, currently ranked in the Top 25 with a record of 18-1, took a chance on 6-8 Jonathan Cox out of Barrington

four years ago. Cox came in as a walk-on and redshirted his freshman year after averaging 16 points, 10

rebounds a game as a senior at Barrington. Now he's a redshirt junior, averaging 11.5 points and 9 rebounds a

game for the Missouri Valley Conference leaders. Coaches will take chances on big men in hoping they develop in

two or three years once they get them on campus.

It's startling how few big men there are currently in Illinois. It's why when there is one in your backyard you have to

get him. That's why I believe a school like Illinois losing out on 6-9 Mike Dunigan of Farragut can be crippling. The

loss of Dunigan received far less attention than Bruce Weber losing out on Julian Wright, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose

and a host of other big-name talents over the years. But players like Dunigan, a 6-9 back-to-the-basket force with

an unbelievable body, are far and few between. There were plenty of people who questioned Weber for taking

both Mike Tisdale of Riverton and Bill Cole of Peoria Richwoods last year. But who else is there? Tisdale has

shown promise and looks like he will be a valuable commodity in a year or two, while Cole sits, gains strength,

weight and develops.

I couldn't tell you how many times fans and subscribers to the City/Suburban Hoops Report will go watch a big man

that is highly rated and come back to me disappointed in that player. "He's no good," they say. "How can he play in

the Big Ten or the Big East?" Chances are the fan is right. The player typically is several years away from making

an impact at that level. But it's purely about potential when it comes to big men, who generally always progress and

develop at a slower rate. There is such a premium on big men that, often times, a smaller player with much more

talent and eye-popping ability will end up playing at a lower level than the big man project.

The list of quality big men that have come out of Illinois in recent years can be counted on one hand. In 2004, Shaun

Pruitt of West Aurora was the lone quality big man in the state. It came down to Illinois and Michigan State. He had

no impact as a freshman but has gradually improved and become more than a serviceable big man in the Big Ten.

The only other big man that has progressed quickly and is making a major impact is 6-11 Javalle McGee of Hales

Franciscan, who is starring at Nevada and is projected as an NBA first-round pick.

The crop of big men currently in Illinois is limited. This year's senior class actually has more to offer than recent

classes. Dunigan is by far and away the top big man, while 6-9 Stan Simpson of Simeon is the perfect example of

the type of big men Division I schools covet. He's long, a decent athlete and can run the floor -- but he's far from a

finished product and will need two or three years to develop. Vienna's 6-10 Brett Thompson (Saint Louis) and

Glenbard West's 6-9 John Shurna (Northwestern) are two other quality players with size. In addition, there is 6-7

Josh Crittle of Hales Franciscan, who will join Dunigan at Oregon, and 6-8 Jeremy Robinson of Decatur

Eisenhower, who has signed with Illinois State.

The junior class has fast-rising Jack Cooley of Glenbrook South, Eureka's Jordan Prosser and 6-10 Kyle Rowley of

Lake Forest Academy. All three will be high-major recruits due to their size. Rowley is another perfect example of a

project who fans won't come away impressed with after watching. But he will sign with a high-major, continue to

develop and hope to contribute down the road. The same can be said for the sophomore class, which includes 6-

10 Paul Bunch of North Lawndale and 6-9 Fred Heldring of New Trier.

The point is there aren't many talented big men. So when you see one, whether you're impressed or not, chances

are he's going to be signing with a school that is likely one level too high. Although that's not always the case, it's

how the game of recruiting big men is played.

Posted by Joe Henricksen at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Joe Henricksen

Everyone loves to discuss and debate the prep basketball classes that come through Illinois. Is it a good year for in-

state talent? Where does the class rank among all-time great classes? We all can pick out the top classes as we

look back on them, starting with the deep and talented Class of 1998. That class remains the best the Hoops Report

has seen.

Sure, we can debate. The 1978 class featured Mark Aguirre, a future NBA No. 1 pick. It also had Craig Hodges,

Mitchell Anderson, Perry Range and Kevin Stallings, who all went on to have stellar careers after high school. In

1979 Isiah Thomas, Darrell Walker and Kevin Bontempts graduated together. The 1980 class was top-heavy and

had Russell Cross and Doc Rivers, followed by Voise Winters, Walter Downing, Jeff Hornacek and Michael Payne

in the Class of 1981.

But no class has ever had a combination of top talent at the top and depth throughout as the Class of 1998. The

stars at the top -- Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette and Frank Williams -- all had brilliant post-high school

careers. All three were NBA first-round picks. And although Williams' star faded quickly, he had a terrific career at

Illinois. But that class also included the likes of Bobby Simmons, who is still playing in the NBA, Michael Wright (a

star at Arizona), Lance Williams (DePaul), Lucas Johnson (Illinois), Damir Krupalija (Illinois), Kevin Frey (Xavier),

Dennis Gates (Cal), Cordell Henry (Marquette) and Joey Range to name only a few. Even the lesser-knowns like

Henry Domercant, who was one of the nation's leading scorers while at Eastern Illinois, was in the Class of 1998.

The list of Division I standouts goes on and on.

No one, however, talks about the worst classes that have come and gone through Illinois. This story does, ranking

the four most talent-starved classes in the last 30 years. Is there a recent class that could -- or should -- be

mentioned in this group?

4) Class of 1999 .... I will say this class had size -- and some players that have turned out to be quality college

assistant coaches. Thank goodness Lincoln's Brian Cook and Proviso East's Steven Hunter made it to the NBA.

Those two saved the class. Remember King's Leon Smith? Those were three players all 6-11 of taller who had

high hopes, with Hunter and Cook both making millions. Elgin's Sean Harrington (Illinois) and Mount Vernon's Kent

Williams (Southern Illinois) had productive college careers. But those two were top five players in this class! The

other top players in this class included the likes of Peoria Central's Jerrance Howard, Plano's Brad Korn, Proviso

East's Perry Smith, Rockford Boylan's Joe Tulley, DeSales' Jerrell Parker, Evanston's Karlton Mims, Bloom's C.C.

Malone, Stagg's Joe Scott, Westinghouse's David Bailey and Peoria Manual's Marlon Brooks.

3) Class of 1983 .... The big name that came out of this class was Kevin Gamble of Springfield Lanphier. He starred

at Iowa and had a decent career in the NBA. The drop after Gamble is rapid. Marty Simmons of Lawrenceville was

Mr. Basketball. His career at Indiana was hardly glorious. Len Bertolini of St. Patrick? Hardly a household name in

the history of prep basketball in Illinois. Tony Reeder of St. Joe's and Tom Schafer of Jacobs were among the top

players, both of which struggled in their college careers. And Eric Kumerow of Oak Park had a fantastic career --

in football.

2) Class of 1995 .... This class is easy to look past -- and completely forget if not for Kevin Garnett transferring in

for his senior year to star at Farragut. First, though, there were some underrated players in this class that

bossomed, such as Tolono's Brian Cardinal (at Purdue), Brother Rice's Rico Hill (at Illinois State) and Kenwood's

Nazr Mohammed (at Kentucky). Overall, though, the class was brutal. Joliet's Gary Bell was the headliner while in

high school. Other all-staters in this class included Billy Donlon of Glenbrook North, Nate Fox of Plainfield, Matt

Moran of Pekin, Kyle Cartmill at Quincy and Willie Coleman at Peoria Manual.

1) Class of 1989 .... The biggest name? Deon Thomas of Simeon, who did go on to become the all-time leading

scorer in Fighting Illini history. While he was Mr. Basketball and had a terrific college career, he was barely a blip on

the radar in his NBA career before starring overseas. The rest of the class formed, arguably, the worst group of

seniors. Tommy Michael of Caryle and Chris Reynolds of Peoria Central played and contributed at Illinois and

Indiana, respectively, but that's about as good as it gets. The top players in the class -- Tim Geers of DeLaSalle,

Juvon McGarry of Evanston, Todd Leslie of Fremd, Deryl Cunningham of St. Joe's and Mike Hughes of Peoria

Central -- didn't do much of anything at the collegiate level.

Posted by Joe Henricksen at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

By Joe Henricksen

We are past the midway point of the season and plenty has been learned -- and confirmed -- as we begin to head

down the stretch of the regular season. Here are just a few random thoughts....

Batavia in the conversation
When discussing the top teams in Class 4A, the Bulldogs of Batavia need to be in the conversation. Coach Jim

Roberts' club just wouldn't go away against talented Marshall Saturday night at the Sears Centre in Hoffman

Estates, eventually falling in a close one. This team is fearless. The much-anticipated Batavia-Simeon matchup Feb.

2 at Batavia should be a fun one as the atmosphere should be as good as it gets in high school basketball.

The freshman did what?
It was just three weeks ago when I mentioned Limestone's Donivine Stewart should be included with Curie's

Wayne Blackshear and DeLaSalle's Mike Shaw as one of the top freshmen in the state. The intangibles I mentioned,

which includes an uncanny feel and understanding of how to score for such a young player, must have been front

and center over the weekend. The 5-11 freshman guard scored 41 points in a win over Dunlap Saturday night.

While Stewart does not have the upside and ceiling of a Blackshear or Shaw, his ability alone puts him among the

top five freshmen in Illinois.

And yet another talented sophomore
It seems the list of top players in the Class of 2010 just grows and grows. Another player climbing the rankings

quickly is Mundelein's Ben Brust. Like the aforementioned Stewart, I just tend to gravitate to players that can

actually put the ball in the basket on a consistent basis. The 6-2 guard can flat-out score. He can shoot it with

range, off the dribble and is more athletic than people think. He's one of the top 15 players in the sophomore class.

Speaking of talented sophomores, one player I really anticipate making a huge jump between his sophomore and

junior year is New Trier big man Fred Heldring. His role is somewhat limited on a senior-dominated New Trier club,

but in this day where big men are impossible to find, Heldring has a chance to blossom into a high-major prospect

before it's all said and done.

Class 3A State Tournament will be brutal
This coming week's City/Suburban Hoops Report issue put together a Class 3A statewide ranking. After taking a

long, hard look at those rankings it's easy to see why the Class 3A State Tournament this March will have less

drama than any state tournament in state history. As previously mentioned, after Simeon, Marshall and Decatur

Eisenhower there is a considerable drop in team talent. From a ranking team perspective, it was actually difficult to

feel good about putting some of the teams in the top 16 3A poll. Hopefully 3A's "Big Three" will all make it to Peoria

and save the mess that is four classes.

The Super Six
Although this could possibly change before March rolls around, I believe six teams have separated themselves

from the rest of the pack. Simeon, Marshall, H-F, Farragut, Whitney Young and Decatur Eisenhower are six teams

that will likely be fighting it out for the 3A and 4A state titles. I have yet to see unbeaten Edwardsville, so it remains

to be seen how they fit into the mix.

If you would like to subscribe to the City/Suburban Hoops Report, which is in its 13th year of publication, or have any questions, call (630)-408-6709 or e-mail hoopsreport@yahoo.com

Posted by Joe Henricksen at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

By Joe Henricksen

If Batavia didn't open enough eyes with its four-game sweep of the very competitive Elgin Holiday Tournament in

late December -- without its top player, Nick Fruendt -- then the eye-popping will certainly come if the Bulldogs can

pull off a win this Saturday night at the Meijer High School Hoops Showdown at the Sears Centre in Hoffman

Estates. Fruendt is back and the Bulldogs, who face powerful Marshall, are poised for what could be a monumental

moment in what could evolve into one magical season.

It's not as if Batavia is exactly sneaking up on people. The Bulldogs returned virtually everyone from a year ago,

including the Northwestern-bound Fruendt, and were highly ranked in the preseason. But starting this Saturday

night at 8:30 p.m. against Marshall, and then continuing in a couple of weeks in a showdown at its own Batavia

Night of Hoops against top-ranked Simeon, the Bulldogs will learn an awful lot about themselves -- likely good and

bad.

Coach Jim Roberts, though, has tried to keep his team's focus entirely on its conference date Friday night with

Rochelle. Tough task when you're dealing with teenage kids who know basketball, follow it in the papers and on

the internet and are well aware of the task at hand Saturday night.

"Those two programs [Marshall and Simeon] have two of the greatest traditions in the history of high school

basketball in Illinois," says Roberts.

Roberts has to be pleased with where his team is at after losing Fruendt for three weeks. The Bulldogs did lose to

Geneva without Fruendt but bounced back impressively at Elgin. Junior David Bryant hit big shots. Jordan Smith

became a major factor on both the offensive and defensive glass. Sophomore Ricky Clopton has come into his

own. Senior guard Phil Albrecht has been Mr. Steady. And Stewart Charles has been a defensive standout.

Now the Bulldogs get the opportunity to test themselves against two of the premier teams in the state. Although

they are both Class3A schools, there are plenty of people that would argue Simeon and Marshall are the two best

teams in Illinois. Batavia, a Class 4A contender, has played premier programs before, including the likes of past King

teams a decade ago, St. Joseph, Quincy, Proviso East and Crane to name a few. Now Batavia gets a chance to

make its mark on the 2007-2008 season.

"This is a reflection of the peope that came before these kids," says Roberts of the opportunity at hand for his

current Bulldogs. "What they have achieved in the past has allowed us to talk to people and schedule these types

of games."

And it's a reflection on Roberts for taking the initiative and going out and actually scheduling these types of games

and putting his teams in a position where they are able to grow and mature as a team, which has only helped build

interest in Batavia basketball.

A lot to prove for Jacobs as well
Batavia won't be the only team Saturday night out to prove something. Jacobs, led by often under