Illinois guard commits to Western Illinois

[Da Coach]

Jim Molinari got a commitment from a pretty good 2013 guard yesterday- Garrett Covington is a 6'5" wing guard from Edwardsville (Illinois) HS. He averaged 17.8 ppg and 7.6 rpg as a junior to lead Edwardsville to a 24-6 season last year. He also shot 42% from three.
Covington lead Edwardsville to a win over Pekin in last year's Collinsville Sectional.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/edwardsville-comes-from-behind-to-knock-off-pekin-for-sectional/article_f11cca04-6a67-11e1-bc65-001a4bcf6878.html

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/athletes-of-the-week/garrett-covington-edwardsville-basketball/article_2461df24-6d62-11e1-a461-001a4bcf6878.html

Voted Top 5 in St. Louis area-

http://www.stlamerican.com/sports/local_sports/article_5da39752-792c-11e1-90ff-0019bb2963f4.html

Honorable mention All-State in Class 4A as a junior-

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-14/sports/cst-prep-ap-state-4a-3a-031412_1_sterling-brown-jabari-parker-kendrick-nunn

[Da Coach]

From ChicagoHoops.com-

http://chicagohoops.hoops247.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2427:western-illinois-lands-garrett-covington&catid=34:recruiting

[tornado]

Athletic 6-5 shooting guard, GOOD defender, who averaged 18 ppg as a junior and 42% on 205 3-pt attempts. And 58% from the floor overall PLUS 8 rebs/gm, 3 assists, 2 steals..
and 83% on free throws. There's hardly anything this kid doesn't do well.
I am impressed - good job Coach Mo, the kid sounds similar to Andrew Warren. And reportedly a good student academically.
This kid is a steal for WIU and was being pursued by Saint Louis until Rick Majerus left - as well as getting interest from several Big Ten schools.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article_28cbbe2c-0dd0-11e2-beaf-001a4bcf6878.html

http://saintlouis.scout.com/2/1175732.html

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/recruiting/edwardsville-shooting-guard-covington-finds-his-fit-in-western-illinois/article_80ad45ce-0d72-11e2-962e-0019bb30f31a.html

Notice what approach worked to land this kid -- Coach Mo simply convinced the kid he was really wanted at WIU...
"To me the deciding factor was mainly to go somewhere
where they want me more than like I want them....
They put on a showcase for me to be there.
They really wanted me there.
I felt at home when I got there."

[wily coyote]

That's a great get for Coach Mo. So happy to see him land kids that will turn WIU into a consistent challenger. Great guy ,great coach. Go Leathernecks unless your playing us.

[SFP]

Always been a big fan of Coach Mo! Glad to see him being successful but then again I had no doubt that he would.

[wily coyote]

Always been a big fan of Coach Mo! Glad to see him being successful but then again I had no doubt that he would.

+1

[Da Coach]

Coach Molinari just got another verbal, this one from a pretty good big man-
6'8" forward Tate Stensgaard- a sophomore at Sheridan College, in Sheridan, Wyoming just gave Western Illinois a verbal commitment.

Tate Stensgaard is from Rapid City, SD Stevens HS. He averaged 13.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg as a senior in 2010-2011. He went to Sheridan College a year ago, but an injury kept him from playing. So he spent last season building up and improving his game. He redshirted and will be just a freshman at Sheridan College this year, and will have 3 years of eligibility at WIU when he gets there in 2013. He was scouted by Coach Molinari at a junior college event over the summer that he participated in. Recruiting analysts describe Stensgaard as "very skilled for his size", and "a great player for Western Illinois".

http://generalsnation.blogspot.com/2011/05/generals-sign-68-tate-stensgaard-from.html

http://generalsnation.blogspot.com/2012/07/generals-showcase-their-talent-this.html

[tornado]

pretty apparent that Mo doesn't hold to the theory that if he just holds 3 or 4 open scholarships until May or June that lots of talent will still be available...

[JMM28]

pretty apparent that Mo doesn't hold to the theory that if he just holds 3 or 4 open scholarships until May or June that lots of talent will still be available...

I think Mo is smart enough to realize that recruiting to Western Illinois of the Summit League in Macomb, Illinois is a helluva lot different than recruiting to Bradley of the MVC in Peoria, Illinois which is a helluva lot different than recruiting to Minnesota of the Big Ten in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[SFP]

I think Mo is smart enough to realize that recruiting to Western Illinois of the Summit League in Macomb, Illinois is a helluva lot different than recruiting to Bradley of the MVC in Peoria, Illinois which is a helluva lot different than recruiting to Minnesota of the Big Ten in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What did you just say? not that I 100% agree with T on this but I am starting to get a bit nervous myself and regardless of WIU or UM or Timbuktu U we still as fans feel as if we are behind. I do feel we are making progress but as they say, proof is in the pudding! Halloween is fast approaching. Will we hear good news or great news soon?

[Gary the Gargoyle]

What did you just say? not that I 100% agree with T on this but I am starting to get a bit nervous myself and regardless of WIU or UM or Timbuktu U we still as fans feel as if we are behind. I do feel we are making progress but as they say, proof is in the pudding! Halloween is fast approaching. Will we hear good news or great news soon?

In my opinion, commitments are always just good news. They don't become great news until they sign.

[tornado]

In my opinion, commitments are always just good news. They don't become great news until they sign.

..then they don't become really good news until they produce

[Gary the Gargoyle]

..then they don't become really good news until they produce

Right! And in between is the ever important showing up on campus.

[SFP]

I guess you two are correct. I found the signing of Remy Martin to a LOI was great news.

[Da Coach]

Jim Molinari got signed NLI's today from a couple pretty good Illinois guards-
Garrett Covington, a 2-guard from Edwardsville HS, and Jabari Sandifer, a 6'1" point guard from Neaqua Valley HS. He is also expecting to get a letter from the juco kid mentioned above, Tate Stensgaard.

http://chicagohoops.hoops247.com/index.php/2011-08-04-18-06-26/203-wiu-officially-signs-covington-sandifer