Illinois State Recruiting

[Big Mike]

did we have whiskey at this point?

yes!

[TheGuy]

tNel

You should have done us all a favor and questioned Jank about the schedule next year

[KillerB]

I've heard Darius Smith is on a recuriting visit at ISU today.
From 2009 Marshall title team.. played with Hare.. committed to UConn then went JC.
Reportedly wants to play closer to home.

[Da Coach]

His recruiting stock has also fallen a bit.
He left UConn after 1 season riding the bench, and played this past season at College of Southern Idaho. Despite playing PG on one of the top offensive teams in all of juco (CSI averaged 92 ppg), Smith averaged just 8.4 ppg (tied for 6th on his team), but did have 5.3 assists per game. He shot just 26% from three.
He needs to find the right team where he can concentrate on playing point and not be a scorer. He is getting interest from schools like North Carolina, and Minnesota, but will probably be better off at a midmajor-

http://rivals.yahoo.com/jucojunction/basketball/recruiting/player-Darius-Smith-120150

Smith is another player Jim Les liked a lot. Seems like Jank likes ex-BU recruits.

[45otseoj]

I've heard Darius Smith is on a recuriting visit at ISU today.
From 2009 Marshall title team.. played with Hare.. committed to UConn then went JC.
Reportedly wants to play closer to home.

Darius Clark visited on Friday.

I see Daruis Smith visited EIU sometime this week.

Where are you seeing that Smith is also?

PURE SPECULATION:

We are currently recruiting past our scholarship limit, and our efforts seems aimed at a juco point guard. Jank has been know to fill gaps with jucos (Cousin for Terry Johnson). I have a feelnig that Cousin isn't going anywhere because of circumstances which leads me to t's favorite, Kenyon Smith.



EDIT: Darius Smith did not visit ISU this weekend.

[45otseoj]

And I think I missed Johnny Hill because he didn't show up on any of the 3 recruiting sites I used when I did my analysis. Hmmm....

The evaluator who watches Illinois kids more than anyone ranked Johnny the best Valley recruit from Illinois (2 Birds, 2 Braves, 2 Aces).

http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoopsreport/2011/05/anthony_davis_highlights_final.html

[shaunguth]

I would assume so.

Good athlete (looong) who seems to have a problem with getting the ball to go in the basket the 3 times I've seen him. Good passer in traffic.

Advertised as a PG in the summer but plays quite a bit of wing for his high school.

Offer from Iowa

Beane will indeed sign with isu.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_29e07c08-de6a-11e0-8d90-001cc4c03286.html

[tornado]

Nice find Shaun -- funny how the news is not generating much buzz over there - one post even seems bummed about it...

This is a good get for ISU -- he's right in their back yard, his dad is their assistant coach - woulda kinda been embarrassing if he went elsewhere.

But - then someone else is leaving or having their scholarship Janked...since they have no available scholarship for 2012...

"How ISU’s scholarships play out for the 2012-13 season remains to be seen.
The Redbirds have no seniors this season and already are at the 13-scholarship
NCAA limit. Typically, one or two players have transferred after each season."

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_29e07c08-de6a-11e0-8d90-001cc4c03286.html

Beane averaged 14 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.6 apg..and played for the Peoria Irish as well as Dodie, Sr's Team Illinois..
Here's a really good article on Beane - Link
scout.com lists Beane erroneously as a 2013 recruit - Link - unrated but ranked #30 in Illinois in Class of 2013
Rivals has him no-stars, but properly listed as Class of 2012, and rank him #39 in Illinois' Class of 2012 - LINK (Ka'Darryl Bell is now ranked #5 in Illinois by Rivals)
Sun Times/Henricksen also has confusion and ranks Beane in the #21-30 range of the wrong graduating class (2013) - LINK
(but then Henricksen doesn't seem to know much at all - he just said Bell will be only the 2nd player from "the Chicago area" at Bradley...but he apparently then knows NOTHING about Devon Hodges and Shayok Shayok.

Chicagohoops does not have him in their Top 20 - Link

[TheGuy]

We are also still waiting for the NCAA ruling on John Jones. Although it sounded like he preferred ISU because we already have quite a few athletes from Barbados in track and field.

[it's boogie time]

But - then someone else is leaving or having their scholarship Janked...since they have no available scholarship for 2012...

This sounds like it should be the next poll question

[CubbieBear]

Saw him play last year...he is a talented player with a lot of up-side. I know he had offers from Boston College & Iowa and I had heard UIUC was very interested in him too...why did he have to pick fricking ISU

[Da Coach]

"Up-side" is the key term. Right now, ISU makes the most sense for him. 2 to 3 years ago Anthony Beane, Jr. was ranked among the top 5 players in Illinois in the class of 2012 by some experts. But he hasn't grown much since 8th grade, and hasn't developed his game as much as other kids, and now he has fallen out of the rankings. It's hard to find anyone ranking him in the top 20, even considering 2012 is the weakest class in Illinois in decades.

Basically he is an undersized 2-guard who is not a good jump shooter and not a great ball handler. ISU already has way too many players just like that (note that ISU signed 5 new guards this year). Their 2011-2012 roster already shows 10 guards on the current roster, and none of them are seniors.

http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ilsu-m-baskbl-mtt.html

Beane is very athletic, and I think he can develop into a good MVC player in time, but I would not expect him to be a factor for ISU next year. He might even be a redshirt candidate.

BTW- reports that he had an offer from Boston College apparently are not accurate. Reliable sources say Boston College had interest, but had not offered.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_29e07c08-de6a-11e0-8d90-001cc4c03286.html

[CubbieBear]

Thanks Da Coach...I feel better after reading your post that he is not that good. Apparently he has regressed since I saw him play last as a junior and he will not be a big deal in the Valley. Give ISU ALL the under-sized guards who cannot shoot or handle the ball well...and hopefully we can end our 5 game skid against them

[bufan73]

Thanks Da Coach...I feel better after reading your post that he is not that good. Apparently he has regressed since I saw him play last as a junior and he will not be a big deal in the Valley. Give ISU ALL the under-sized guards who cannot shoot or handle the ball well...and hopefully we can end our 5 game skid against them

I already feel better!

[tornado]

..that he had an offer from Boston College apparently are not accurate. Reliable sources say Boston College had interest, but had not offered...

and the other "offer" he apparently at one time or may have had - could also have been pulled from the table,
since IOWA just landed a 4-STAR. Top 100 kid at PG/Combo Guard - and I don't think they even have a scholarship remaining

http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/1093435.html