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Illinois loses key in-state recruit

Da Coach

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Many people rate Jalen Brunson as the top point guard in Illinois in the class of 2015, and some rate Brunson the top overall 2015 Illinois recruit. He is rated a Top 20 recruit nationally by many services.
After he had made several visits to the Illinois campus, and announced that he had trimmed his list to Illinois and Villanova, Illinois Head Coach John Groce had to be feeing cautiously confident that he would announce his commitment to the Illini in his press conference this afternoon.

But he instead will be going to Villanova.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...brunson-college-illinois-villanova-story.html

http://highschoolcubenews.com/2014/...ight-villanova-reputation-sold-jalen-brunson/

This is a disappointment for Groce and the Illini. He really needs to land a quality point guard for next year, and now he has to work on Plan B.
 
a double whammy - now news says team leader and one of their top returnees, Tracy Abrams has torn his ACL
and will out for the entire upcoming season....
 
now that Illinois has to commit a scholarship in 2015 to Tracy Abrams -- since he's redshirting this year- & Coleman signs
this may drop the number of currently available scholarships for Illinois to just one left for 2015.....
and they are still holding high hopes of landing Carlton Bragg, Juwan Evans, & Elijah Thomas...
Of course a few more could open up......it should be interesting, as the Illini keep losing out on their top targets
 
He is at La Lumiere ...
he has apparently started using a different name - one that incorporates his father's last name (Father is Piankahi Lands)
he now goes by Jalen Coleman-Lands
http://scouthoops.scout.com/story/1454529

BTW - tuition and costs at La Lumiere "runs $35,000 per year" and both Jalen and his brother are getting full scholarships at La Lumiere (Jalen for two years and his brother for four years)...the current head coach at La Lumiere is the brother of ex-Bradley basketball player Montana Heirman.
http://kentsterling.com/2013/05/29/...quiet-charges-of-financial-help-for-athletes/

Never once in any article I find is it explained who is paying for these "scholarships" - hmmm...
I suspect the costs are one thing but some recruits pick the prep route thinking it helps them do better at the D-I level.
I am not sure that is true in regards to La Lumiere - despite all the top caliber, 4-Star & even 5-Star prospects they have "landed" - I am unaware of even one who has yet to go on the D-I and have a significant impact. Hopefully Coleman-Lands will break through.
 
a double whammy - now news says team leader and one of their top returnees, Tracy Abrams has torn his ACL
and will out for the entire upcoming season....

obviously all basketball players need mobility - and the ability to cut, pivot & change directions....
but no player on a team needs those qualities more than a point guard - thus pg's may have a little more trouble coming back from an ACL rupture than other positions...
Tracy Abrams will need to be ready in under a year if he wants to play in 2015-16, or his clock will run out....it's gonna be tough, and the most recent articles state his impending surgery hasn't even been scheduled yet.......

Derrick Rose is now 2 and a half years post his ACL rupture & surgery and still hasn't shown his former talents...
Likewise Rondo is going on almost 2 years since his ACL and has yet to show his former abilities...
 
...
and they are still holding high hopes of landing Carlton Bragg, Juwan Evans, & Elijah Thomas...

Illini Head Coach John Groce keeps coming in runner up with several high level recruits.
Carlton Bragg, a 5-star, top 15 6'8" forward in the class of 2015, had narrowed his choices to Kansas, Kentucky, and Illinois. He made his choice and announced it today in a press conference- his choice is Kansas.
 
Many people rate Jalen Brunson as the top point guard in Illinois in the class of 2015, and some rate Brunson the top overall 2015 Illinois recruit. ....

Jalen Brunson showed a bit of what he's capable of...
Last night Villanova played their Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage (White won 52-51) and Brunson was impressive..outplaying most of their veteran players
He was the leading scorer of the winning White team at 14 pts (5-7 and 3-4 from the arc)
 
Carlton Bragg, a 5-star, top 15 6'8" forward in the class of 2015, had narrowed his choices to Kansas, Kentucky, and Illinois. He made his choice and announced it today in a press conference- his choice is Kansas.

Serious issues for Carlton Bragg - likely to get suspended...
Illini people oughta be happy they didn't land him..

"We are aware of the situation and in the process of gathering information and once we have the facts we will act accordingly,??? KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said Friday.

KU coach Bill Self has not responded to a request for comment."


http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article119896743.html
 
...
Carlton Bragg, a 5-star, top 15 6'8" forward in the class of 2015....made his choice and announced it today in a press conference- his choice is Kansas.


Illini favorite (;)) Carlton Bragg stiffs his home state's flagship school once again...
he's leaving Kansas and was rumored now to have the Illini among his choices...but instead he's headed to Arizona State...prob never be heard from again...
 
gotcha - change it to "stiffs my home state's flagship school"

There seemed to be varying accounts of exactly how hard Illinois was pursuing him, especially since there seemed to be some baggage attached. However, I don't think I could blame any kid for wanting the social life of ASU.
 
There seemed to be varying accounts of exactly how hard Illinois was pursuing him, especially since there seemed to be some baggage attached. However, I don't think I could blame any kid for wanting the social life of ASU.

Not just the social life, just being in Arizona.
 
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