Storylines galore
A look at where recruiting stands — amid the covid pandemic — a month from national signing day
While it has been a recruiting cycle unlike any other for the Class of 2021, we are nonetheless a month away from National Signing Day. How many players will sign? That’s the question because the process has slowed to a crawl for a variety of reasons. The biggest of those is that, because of COVID and all in-person evaluations being shut down, many of the players in the class simply haven’t been seen or evaluated enough for some college coaches to pull the trigger.
Thus far, 13 Illinois players have committed to Division I schools. That is a minuscule number in October in comparison to past years. Those 13, along with likely a few more, are set to sign in November.
The class wasn’t exactly loaded or super-appealing before the pandemic. But there are more scholarship players in the class than the small number of Division I and Division II commitments we have right now.
The number will grow — eventually. But college coaches are toying with the idea of rolling over scholarshipsmore than they have in the past. Division II coaches are awaiting word on a season andwhether seniorswill be granted another year of eligibility, and everyone at every level continues to be enamored with adding spring transfers.
Here is a list of some intriguing names and storylines when it comes to seniors across the state:
The big prize
Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins is the biggest name on the board. The No. 2-ranked prospect in the senior class has cut his list to nine schools after a summer de-commitment from Louisville.
The 6-6 forward has California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Providence, Oregon and Texas on his list. Hopkins, who is among the top 35 prospects in the country, is expected to decide by the end of the month.
The coveted mid-major target
The recruitment of Anthony Sayles, Notre Dame’s 6-1 point guard, is at the right level. But the number of schools at that level should be greater.
Still, that’s good news for the schools who have been on Sayles, including Southern Illinois, which has remained steadfast in its recruitment, and Toledo, which extended a scholarship offerWednesday.
The sleeper
While Hillcrest teammate Julius Rollins has received more attention in the last two years, Jakobi Heady has emerged as a bona fide Division I prospect. He has grown close to 6-7while maintaining his versatility and the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting.
Heady is a player who might have benefitted from showcasing his late-blooming, budding game during the course of the spring and summerwith a normal recruiting calendar. Now he might be someone’s steal.
Ready for their chance
The Young tandem of Grant Newell and Jaehshon Thomas played supporting roles while superstar DJ Steward and Division I guard Tyler Beard led the way a year ago.
Unfortunately, neither was able to enhance his profile on the summer circuit. Both would have showcased their expanded games in bigger roles.
Newell is a 6-7 forward with an intriguing combination of size and face-up ability, and Thomas has a knack for scoring based on his shooting ability.
The must-have Division II prospects
Downers Grove North’s Jack Mielke and Bolingbrook’s Isaiah Stafford are hot com
modities among Division II programs that hope both players stay within their reach.
With size, shooting ability and strong academics, the 6-6 Mielke is drawing a wide range of interest. Truman State, Hillsdale, Northwood, Northern Michigan, Lewis, Rockhurst and Indiana Tech have offered him scholarships. But Division I programs San Diego, Brown and Lafayette are keeping close tabs on him, too.
Stafford is set to get his due this season. He will become a focal point for the Raiders with the departure of high-scoring Darius Burford. While he has Division I programs poking around, he already sports offers from Illinois-Springfield, Northern Michigan, Truman State and McKendree.
Five underrated prospects
† Kimahri Wilson, Carmel: The passfirst point guard has been a bit of a forgotten player in the class, despite his natural basketball instincts and outstanding vision. Wilson, who has scored 1,247 career points, should be attracting more interest after a highly productive career to date.
† Landon Moore, Bloomington: This one is a mystery. The 6-foot guard is a shotmaker and has been vastly under-recruited. He averaged 18.3 points as a junior and is a scholarship player — just one without any offers.
† Jordan Rice, Rock Island: He’s not uncommitted anymore, but Illinois-Springfield landed an outstanding Division II recruit last month in this talented point guard.
† Gary Clay Jr., Rich East: An under-theradar guard with scoring and shooting ability who, quite frankly, needs to be seen. This is a potential scholarship-type player in the south suburbs.
† Hakim Williams, Round Lake: Already a 1,000-point scorer after averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds as a junior, the 6-3 wing is vastly overlooked. Williams should be on the radar of small-college programs.