By Joe Henricksen

The Big Ten continues to pound the recruiting trail in Illinois, particularly with the Class of 2011. Wisconsin earlier this week offered a trio of players in the sophomore class: Devon Hodges of Romeoville, Chasson Randle of Rock Island and Nanna Egwu of St. Ignatius. Today, according to Illinois Wolves AAU coach Mike Mullins, Hodges gave Wisconsin a verbal commitment.

Hodges, who ranks among the top 16 prospects in the Hoops Report's Class of 2011, is your classic young player with a big upside. At 6-7 he's long, active, runs the floor and is pretty versatile. His length and wingspan are superior. He's an intriguing prospect due to the fact he will be a true wing at the end of the day and could top out at 6-8 or 6-9. Hodges becomes the third player in the Class of 2011 to offer up a verbal commitment, joining Mt. Carmel's Tracy Abrams (Illinois) and East Aurora's Ryan Boatright (USC).