2017 Manual guard Da'Monte Williams commit to Illinois

[Da Coach]

Class of 2017 guard Da'Monte Williams of Peoria Manual HS committed to Illinois today. Da'Monte is the son of former Illini star Frank Williams, who accompanied him on a visit to Illinois today. He also made multiple unofficial visits to Bradley since Coach Wardle became Bradley's head coach.

Recruiting topic-

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25277

[wily coyote]

Great get for Gross. Did anybody think he'd go anywhere else but there?

[basketball nut]

Great get for Gross. Did anybody think he'd go anywhere else but there?

Do you really think Gross will be the coach after this season? That won't make a difference in DW going to IL though.

[wily coyote]

Do you really think Gross will be the coach after this season? That won't make a difference in DW going to IL though.

No I really think he may be gone but he did get DW. Time will tell.

[tornado]

Illini's scholarship situation is interesting...they may not have many available for either 2016 or 2017.

Currently they have all 13 scholarships in use ..and four are being used by seniors...Tracy Abrams, Mike Thorne (grad transfer), Khalid Lewis (grad transfer), and Mike LaTulip (a former walk on that is reportedly redshirting this year while on scholarship)

BUT- Abrams is expected to get another redshirt and a 6th year waiver so his scholarship won't be open for 2016

Then, even tho Mike Thorne does NOT fit the basic requirements for a redshirt, in that he played up 'til January 19- well beyond the midpoint of the season, it is being reported that Illinois is hopeful he will get a redshirt anyway.

http://www.scout.com/college/illinois/story/1646474-illini-to-pursue-medical-redshirt-for-thorne

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20160227/SPORTS/160229427

Lewis & LaTulip are expected to be gone so that would open two scholarships for 2016- but they have a verbal from Te'jon Lucas and have their eye on several more kids ..
so they may have possibly only one to use for 2016.

Then Morgan, Tate, Hill, Nunn are gone at the end of 2016-17 so Illinois will have four to give in 2017, but Da'Monte Williams & Javon Pickett already have two of them.
That would be only THREE total left to spend between now and fall of 2018, and with so many holes to fill - a point guard or two, a couple big men, some shooters, etc...
they may be looking at the next two seasons with hobbled points guards who have spent the last two years redshirting, then big men such as Thorne who are recovering mid-major transfers, then the incoming, inexperienced newbies...
They virtually have to hit a home run with a couple high 4-Star or a 5-Star guy asap.

[tornado]

..Then, even tho Mike Thorne does NOT fit the basic requirements for a redshirt, in that he played up 'til January 19- well beyond the midpoint of the season, it is being reported that Illinois is hopeful he will get a redshirt anyway....

indeed the NCAA does violate and step outside their OWN RULES & REQUIREMENTS and they do grant Thorne another year at Illinois.
..If a player plays even one minute after the midpoint of the season then that is supposed to negate a redshirt..but in this case they ignored that fact and granted anyway.
So Thorne gets six years with two separate full redshirt years - one of which didn't even fit the standard requirements for a redshirt.
good for him, but odd that other players in similar settings like Taylor Brown have been denied.

Tracy Abrams' case is different - his is exactly like the Will Egolf or Sam singh case - two complete years lost due to injury and so Abrams should be a no-brainer and get a 6th year