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Five-star players, difference-makers, program-changers, franchise-turners.
Call them what you like. In football and basketball, they are the elite athletes who put people in the seats, take teams from the outhouse to the penthouse and create a buzz unlike any other.
They have talent, of course, but they also have distinctive leadership qualities, charisma and star appeal that captivate the media and a pied piper personality that attracts other gifted athletes.
Oscar Robertson, Bill Bradley and Jerry West had some or all of those qualities.
In Illinois, the list includes Cazzie Russell, Quinn Buckner, Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre and Derrick Rose.
It is interesting to note that none of the above attended the University of Illinois. In fact, the truth is none of them seriously considered playing college basketball in Champaign-Urbana.
As Illini Nation mends the wounds from what surely was one of the most disappointing seasons in Illinois basketball history, only three years removed from the program's finest hour, it has to wonder why Illinois coaches from Harry Combes to Bruce Weber haven't been able to recruit a homegrown product who can turn Illinois into a perennial national contender.
Weber, apparently frustrated by his inability to sign Rose, Jon Scheyer, Julian Wright or Sherron Collins, has adopted a new recruiting strategy. He dipped into the freshman and sophomore classes and landed commitments from some of the best young prospects in the state. He hopes some or all of them will develop into big-time stars.
He is betting that he can produce an NCAA contender with four-year players instead of a one-and-done type like Rose or Eric Gordon or Michael Beasley or O.J. Mayo or Kevin Love.
Will Jereme Richmond become another Cazzie Russell or Mark Aguirre? As one of the top five sophomores in the nation, according to most analysts, he is projected to be in that class. Will Crandall Head become another Quinn Buckner? Will Brandon Paul become another Isiah Thomas? Will D.J. Richardson become another Derrick Rose?
It is too early to speculate, of course. For one reason or another, some of the most ballyhooed players in state history--remember Raymond McCoy, Glen Grunwald, Jamie Brandon, Howard Nathan and Ronnie Fields?--didn't play up to expectations beyond high school.
As underclassmen, neither Paul nor Head or Richmond nor Richardson nor Joseph Bertrand has played up to the level of those five--at least up to this point. Only time will tell if one of them will develop into a franchise-turner, a lottery pick, the kind of player who can take Illinois to the NCAA championship.
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Just a quick note to say the class of 2008 does not contain anyone who might be considered a difference maker.
2007 was all about Derrick Rose and Simeon, defending their 2006 city and state titles.
2006 was all about Beverly (Arkansas), Collins (Kansas) and Scheyer (Duke), three scorers who forced you to take notice of their accomplishments. Also, the ascension of Simeon junior Derrick Rose.
But 2008? I don't know who or what it was about...
Posted by: awr | March 28, 2008 12:39 PM
As usual Taylor living in the past. Why does anybody have to be the NEXT anything? Why can't these kids carve up their own reputation and be the first and only Jereme Richmond or Crandall Head? Everybody's their own individual person with their own style and game. As for the BIG TEN it has been the most overrated conference for years. As for Illini nation the whole program is garbage. They better hope that these kids pan out or it will continue. How many schools go you know that finish National Runnerup and then program sunk so low three years later. Interesting? You need at least two elite players to win a National Championship. That means one and done or two and done players. McDonalds All-Americans!!! The only team to win one without a Mickey D's is Maryland 2002. You have to recruit the elite players to contend for a National Title.
Posted by: Tim from Evanston | March 29, 2008 09:14 AM
THIS IS PRECISELY WHY BRUCE WEBER HAS TAKEN A MORE HANDS ON APPROACH TO RECRUITING!
THE KID FROM MICHIGAN WHO TRANSFERRED FROM KENTUCKY
CAN PLAY- ALEX LEGION.
STAN SIMPSON FROM SIMEON WILL MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT!
ALSO THE FIGHTING ILLINI JUST SIGNED A JUCO STUD, FROM
THE STATE OF TEXAS!
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FINAL FOUR TEAM WILL NEVER
HAPPEN TO BRUCE WEBER EVER AGAIN, BECAUSE HE WILL NEVER
LOSE AN INSTATE PLAYER, THAT'S WHY YOU GET ORAL
COMMITTMENTS FROM THE YOUNGER GUYS LIKE A CRANDALL HEAD
AND BELIEVE ME HE CAN FLAT OUT PLAY, NEXT THEY ARE
GOING TO GET THE KID SHAW FROM DE LASALLE, MARK MY
WORDS, AND LENZELLE SMITH FROM ZION-BENTON, IF THESE
KIDS WANT TO GO ELSEWHERE THAT'S THEIR CHOICE, BUT
YOU WON'T EVER SAY BRUCE WEBER DIDN'T RECRUIT THEM.
IT WASN'T COACH WEBER'S FAULT THAT PRUITT, AND FRAZIER
DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO WIN IN THE BIG TEN, THAT'S WHY
D. BROWN AND L. HEAD, AND D. WILLIAMS, AND AUGUSTINE,
AND THE REV WERE SO GREAT, THEY WERE WINNERS!
Posted by: PHIL SMITH JR | March 30, 2008 02:48 AM
HOW ABOUT A SHOUT OUT FOR THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE!
SHERRON COLLINS- CRANE H.S.- KANSAS JAYHAWKS
DERRICK ROSE- SIMEON H.S. - MEMPHIS UNIVERSITY
BOTH THESE YOUNG MEN WILL PLAY IN THE FINAL FOUR NEXT
WEEKEND!
ALSO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO COACH ANTHONY LONGSTREET, THIS
MARKS HIS THIRD PLAYER TO MAKE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR!
TONY ALLEN -OKLAHOMA STATE
WILL BYNUM- GEORGIA TECH
BY THE WAY BOTH YOUNG MEN PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL!
TONY ALLEN - BOSTON CELTICS
WILL BYNUM - BOSTON, GOLDEN STATE, NOW HE PLAYS IN ISRAEL.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME THE LAST TIME A COACH IN THE CPS
HAD 3 PLAYERS MAKE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR IN A FOUR YEAR
SPAN?
CONGRATS TO SIMEON AND CRANE HIGH SCHOOLS.
BOTH SHERRON AND DERRICK HAVE BEEN WINNERS ALL THEIR
LIVES, THEY ARE GREAT YOUNG MEN, CONGRATS TO THEIR
FAMILIES AND THEIR COACHES.
Posted by: PHIL SMITH JR | March 30, 2008 09:44 PM
HEY TAYLOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE HIRING OF TOM
CREAN AS THE NEW COACH AT INDIANA.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BIG TEN THE OTHER DAY,
I TOLD YOU THE LEAGUE WILL ONLY GET BETTER.
BY THE WAY CREAN REALLY LIKES TO RECRUIT HEAVY IN THE
CHICAGO AREA.
JERELL MCNEAL, MAURICE ACKER - HILLCREST HAWKS
D. WADE - RICHARDS - MIAMI HEAT
OUSMANE BARROW - BOYZ TO MEN BY WAY OF JULIAN HIGH SCHOOL.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO HE HAD A YOUNG MAN FROM BLOOM
TOWNSHIP ON THE TEAM!
I WONDER IF HE IS GOING TO ASK BO ELLIS TO JOIN HIM
IN BLOOMINGTON?
Posted by: PHIL SMITH JR | April 1, 2008 11:16 PM