Offering early pays off for Illini recruiting efforts
13.11.09
CHAMPAIGN - After three years of staring at the presents with
their gleaming wrapping and beautiful bows, Bruce Weber was finally
allowed to reach beneath the Christmas tree Thursday.
He plucked three gifts and opened them carefully, happily, and with
a certain amount of pride.
Jereme Richmond. Crandall Head. Meyers Leonard.
ESPNU called them the No. 4 recruiting class in the country. Scout.com rated it No. 6, and Rivals.com ranked the trio No. 10.
Strong stuff, however you line 'em up.
And it's an indication that Illinois' grand recruiting experiment,
launched in November of 2006, has paid off.
You might recall a time when Illinois had been to the Final Four
and there was an assumption that in-state recruits would fall like
leaves into Weber's lap.
But Sherron Collins and Julian Wright picked Kansas. And Jon
Scheyer picked Duke. And Derrick Rose walked off to Memphis.
And Eric Gordon? Well, he wasn't from Illinois, but we all remember
how that one went down.
Source: Herald & Review