Jacobs back in recruiting pool
Uplift star Markese Jacobs, the No. 2ranked senior in Illinois, is back on the open market.
After committing to Kansas in October 2016, Jacobs parted ways with the Jayhawks last weekend.
The athletic 5-11 point guard had a terrific junior season for Uplift and is the No. 92-ranked player in the country, according to Rivals. Jacobs, who will be one of the front-runners for Player of the Year this season, picked up scholarship offers from Illinois, DePaul, Florida State, Nebraska and Virginia Tech this week.
Double dip for Drake
Drake coach Darian DeVries locked up two Illinois prospects Sunday, landing Bolingbrook point guard Joseph Yesufu and Lemont forward Nate Ferguson.
DeVries, a longtime Creighton assistant who was hired as Drake’s coach in March, played a key role in landing both players.
‘‘He’s just a great, genuine dude,’’ Ferguson said of DeVries. ‘‘Trustworthy, fun and he’s going to push you. The personality of the team and the coaching staff and how they interact with each other really stood out.’’
Yesufu also gravitated toward DeVries, the coaching staff and the culture he sees being built at Drake.
‘‘I loved the coaching staff, the atmosphere, the teachers and the academics,’’ said Yesufu, who averaged 14 points, five rebounds and three assists last season.
Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost said he thinks Yesufu found the ideal landing spot to play in college and saw firsthand the work DeVries and his staff put in.
‘‘First, Joe is an outstanding student and Drake has a great academic reputation,’’ Brost said. ‘‘As soon as coach DeVries was hired, he made [Yesufu] a priority from the get-go. In the last six months, they showed how much they wanted him.’’
Ferguson is ranked among the top 10 senior prospects in the state, and Yesufu is ranked among the top 20.
Oswego East’s Dennis sets up visits
With 20-plus scholarship offers on the table, Oswego East star RayJ Dennis has had his hands full in trimming his list and setting up official visits.
The 6-2 combo guard, fresh off a terrific junior season and a stock-raising summer on the club circuit, will visit Boise State this weekend. After that, he will take official visits to Colorado State, Toledo, Vermont and Cleveland State. Milwaukee also remains in the mix.
Recruiting notes
Glenbard West’s Evan Taylor, a versatile 6-5 senior who averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season, has two official visits set. He will visit Southern Illinois and Dartmouth in September. Princeton and Cornell are also involved.
♦ Evanston senior guard Lance Jones has committed to Southern Illinois.
♦ Brother Rice guard Marquise Kennedy, who put together an eye-opening summer on the club circuit, recently took an official visit to Illinois State. He will visit Wichita State and Loyola in September.
♦ Belleville West’s E.J. Liddell, the top prospect in the state, will take his first official visit this weekend. Liddell, one of the top 50 players in the country, will visit Ohio State.
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