Illinois lands big-time shooter
At Illinois, John Groce and his staff have been working hard to land an impact player from the class of 2015. On Tuesday, they did that when sharp shooting combo guard Jalen Coleman committed to the Illini.
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After visiting Champaign over the weekend, the four-star prospect took to his Instagram account to announce his commitment to the Illini.
Standing 6-foot-3, Coleman currently ranks No. 37 nationally and is a standout at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere. His coach at La Lumiere, Shane Heirman, believes Coleman has a lot to offer.
"Jalen is a coach's dream," Heirman told Rivals.com. "From day one at La Lumiere he fully immersed himself into the community and has had a major impact on and off the court. He is a special talent but an even more special person.
"I have no doubt he will have a major impact at the University of Illinois."
One of the nation's premier jump shooters, Coleman is an elite shooter from behind the arc. He is also very adept at getting space for his jumper via the dribble and is an outstanding one and two dribble jump shooter.
While it is Coleman's shooting that stands out, he is more than just a jump shooter. He handles the ball well enough that he can slide from one position to another in the backcourt and he is capable of making plays for others. Also, he is very quick laterally, has long arms and can be a dominant on the ball defender when he really decides to lock in.
Coleman will need to continue to build up his relatively lean frame and improve his left hand when he arrives at Illinois but he is a huge pickup and gives versatility.
Already in possession of commitments from four-star shooting guard Aaron Jordan and four-star small forward D.J. Williams, the Illini are putting together an outstanding recruiting class and it could get much better.
Still on the Illini radar are five-star big man Elijah Thomas and No. 26 overall Jawun Evans. One of the nation's elite point guards, Evans has game changing speed while Thomas is a skilled big who named the Illini his leader after visiting Champaign last weekend.
