Richard McBride, a 6-3, 190 pound shooting guard from Lanphier H.S. in Springfield, Ill., told us that several factors led to him giving a verbal commitment to Illinois today.

"I decided to go ahead and end my recruiting because of many factors," McBride told us today. "I thought it was my best chance to go into a school and have a chance to win a National Championship. Winning is very important to me and I think Illinois will have a great chance to win a National Championship in the future with the players they have right now."

McBride also said a chance to perform in front of friends and family also led to his verbal commitment to the Illinois basketball program. "It's really nice that a great school like Illinois is close to my home," McBride said. "It's going to be great to play in front of my family and friends in the stands.

"I also like the Illinois system. I feel I can fit in well there. I like the program a lot. I am very familiar with the coaches and players. I like the coaches a lot, all of them I am close to."

McBride said he is going to use the summer to make himself a more complete player. "I want to work on everything, not just one thing," McBride said. "I am going to get into the gym with my coach and work on my jumper. And I am going to get into the weight room and lift weights everyday to make myself stronger."

McBride is a very athletic guard who can sky above big bodies and thump you with a dunk. He is an exciting player who should be able to put up a lot of points on the college level since he has the strength to go inside and beat defenders with his quickness in the paint.