NY2LA Summer Jam: State of Illinois looks loaded

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NC State assistant coaches and support staff met with the media Tuesday for the first time since getting hired.

• Jacey Zembal

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NC State wanted to find quality players with winning backgrounds in rebuilding the program from essentially scratch.

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Published Jul 17, 2015

NY2LA Summer Jam: State of Illinois looks loaded

Brian Neubert

Publisher

MEQUON,Wis.-HereinthesuburbsofMilwaukee,theNY2LASportsSummerJamisnowinfullswing,boastinganimpressivecollectionofteamsfromacrossvariousregionsandshoeaffiliations.Day2oftheeventremindedjusthowloadedwithtalentthestateofIllinoisisincomingyears.

SOPHOMOREMAKINGANEARLYNAME

TimFinkehashisresponsedowncold.

AskedabouttheIllinoisoffermanywouldfiguretheclassof2018prospectandIllinilegacymightjumpat,the6-5guardfromChampaignCentennialinsistshe's"wideopen."

"Alotofpeopleaskmethatquestion,butIwanttogetoutthereandseeeverything,"saidFinke,who'splayinguptwogradelevelswiththeIllinoisIrish17-year-oldteam."I'vebeenaroundIllinoisalongtimeandIknowthecoacheswellbutIdowanttogetoutandseeotherthings.Idon'thaveanyfavoritesrightnow.I'mtakingmytimeandwillgototheschoolthat'srightforme."

Askedhowmanytimeslatelyhe'shadtotellsomeonejustthat,the15-year-oldlaughedandsaid,"Ican'tevencount."

Butthepresumptionisalogicalone.

FinkegrewuparoundIllinois,wherehisfather,Jeff,playedbasketballandfootballinthelate'80sandhisolderbrother,Michael,willbearedshirtfreshmanforJohnGroce'steamthiscomingseason.

Whilehesayshehasnoplanstoimmediatelyputhimselfonthatsamepath,Illinoiswouldobviouslyloveforhimtocontinuethetradition.

Anexcellentshooterwithanadvancedbasketballmind,probablyinpartacredittohisfamily-"Wehaveabasketballgene,"hesays¬-Finkelooksthepartofano-brainerprospect.

Hesayshe'slearningtobecomemorephysicalandworkingtoimprovehisball-handling,andcouldonedaydevelopintonotonlyaverygoodshootingguard,butaverybigone.Thatis,ifheturnsouttobeonthesamesortoflate-growthtrajectoryMichaelFinke,now6-10,rode.

ILLINOISSTACKEDIN2017

ForasmuchattentionasDownstate2017starsJeremiahTillmon,AlonzoVergeandJordanGoodwinwilldeservedlyreceive,they'rejustpartofaclassintheirstaterichwithhigh-endprospects.

PeoriaManualpointguardDa'MonteWilliams,forone,hasenjoyedanexcellentsummerthusfar.

Alongandathletic6-foot-4guard,WilliamshasproventobeacommandingpresenceforMacIrvinFire's16-and-undersquadandacapablescorerwhenit'sneededfromhim.

Heshouldknowathingortwoaboutthepositionfromhisupbringing.

Hisfatheris1998IllinoisMr.BasketballFrankWilliams,whostarredatIllinois.

"Hetellsmetoalwayskeepmyheadupbecauseguysareopenallthetime,"Da'MonteWilliamssaid,"andyouhavetobeabletohitthem,eitherwiththeleftorrighthand."

He'llhavethechancetofollowinhisfather'sfootstepsastheIlliniareoneofthreeprogramstohavealreadyofferedascholarship.

"Itkindofdoes(mattertome),"Williamssaidofhisfather'shistorywithIllinois,"butatthesametime,I'mgoingtoschoolformeandnotforhim."

SouthCarolina,NorthwesternandPurdueareamongotherprogramsshowinginterestinWilliams,alongwithhisadditionaloffersfromBradleyandIllinois-Chicago.

MacIrvinteammateChristianNegronwillbejustasheavilypursued,ifnotmoreso.

Theruggedandversatile6-6swingmanfromElginLarkinbringsdistincttoughnesstothefloorandtheabilitytoplaydownloworonthewing.

"Ihaveahardtimedefiningmyownpositiontobehonest,"Negronsaid.

Negron,rankedNo.90inthe2016Rivals150,saidthefeedbackhe'sreceivedfromthoserecruitinghimsofarhasbeendiverse,someschoolslikinghimasaperimeterplayerandothersasmoreofafrontcourtoption.

Illinois,Iowa,DePaulandVirginiaTechhaveofferedNegron,whileXavierandCreightonhavetalkedtohimoflate.

NORTHERNEXPOSURE

TorontoguardMarcusCarrhasn'tgottenmuchexposuretothispoint.

ThursdayatNY2LAhemadethemostofwhathegot.

InhistwogamesfortheNorthernKings'16s,the6-2pointguardscored25inawinoverDreamVision,then40inawinoverWisconsinPlaymakers.

"He'sverydynamicandscoresinbunches,"NorthernKingscoachVidalMessiahsaid."Heplaysthepick-and-rollverywellandhe'sacompetitorandcanshootextremelywell."

MessiahsaidthatVirginiaTechandHoustonhaveofferedscholarshipsandOhioStateandMinnesotaareamongthosewhohaveshowninterest.GopherscoachRichardPitinowaspresentforatleastpartsofCarr'sgameagainstPocketCityinthemorning.

Carrislistedasa2017prospectasofnow,butcouldhavesomeflexibilityinthefuturetocomeoutin2018,Messiahsaid.Carr'solderbrother,DuaneNotice,isenteringhisjunioryearonFrankMartin'steamatSouthCarolina.

NOTEBOOK

MichiganClickHeretoviewthisLink.headcoachJohnBeileinClickHeretoviewthisLink.andaWolverineassistantwerepresenttoseeMilwaukeeSpartans2016pointguardTe'JonLucasClickHeretoviewthisLink.,who'sbecomingaverypopularlate-offeroptionfortheBigTen.

Lucas,whohasninemid-majorofferscurrently,saidhe'shearingextensivelyatthispointfromMichigan,Indiana,PurdueandIowa.

St.Louis-basedRamey-JetsUnited's15-and-underteamwascloselywatchedbyassistantcoachesfromWisconsin,Northwestern,Purdue,Illinois,Missouriandothers.

PointguardCourtneyRameyandswingmanTorrenceWatsonarealreadyfieldingscholarshipoffers,includingMissouriandKansasStatetothispointforboth.

CreightonwillsoonhaveWatsononitscampus.

"Ireallywanttovisitthere,"hesaid."Iheardtheyhavereallynicefacilities."

Ramey-JetsUnitedisexpectedtohavehighlyregardedforwardCarteareGordonFriday.HemissedThursday'sgamesinMilwaukeewhileparticipatingintheadidasUprisingeventinNewYork.

Ohio2017forwardB.J.DulinghaspickedupanofferfromIowaClickHeretoviewthisLink..

"Thatwasahugedealforme,myfirstBigTenofferandfirsthigh-major,"hesaid."Iwashonoredtogetanofferfromthem.It'sabigdeal."

The6-8powerforwardalsoholdsToledoandKentStateoffersandtalksregularlywithXavier,DaytonandPurdue,hesaid.

MBAHoopsElitecenterEmmanuelOgbohhasoffersfromMassachusetts,PennStateClickHeretoviewthisLink.andDelaware,andwillmakevisitstoallthreeschools,hiscoachsaid.LSUClickHeretoviewthisLink.andDaytonarealsointerestedandhadcoachespresentatHomesteadHighSchooltoday.

MartinBros.2016sJasonBohannonClickHeretoviewthisLink.andRyanKrienerClickHeretoviewthisLink.bothstoodoutinfrontofaslewofcoachesintheirteam's80-68overPlaygroundElite.

Bohannon,apointguard,scored20pointswhileKriener,ahigh-motor6-9forward,added14.

Bothhaveaslewofmid-majoroffers,andmostofthosecoachespursuingthemlookedonduringthegame,butcontinuedinterestfromin-stateIowa,whichhadassistantcoachShermanDillardpresent.

BohannonsaidhebelievestheHawkeyesmightbeclosetoofferinghim.

"Atleastthat'swhatitsoundslike,"hesaid.

Wisconsin,whereolderbrotherZachplayed,hasmaintainedlong-timeinterestinBohannonwhileTexasTechgotinvolvedafterthemonth'sfirstevaluationperiod.

KrienerhasaboutadozenoffersandinterestfromtheHawkeyes,aswellasNebraska,Clemson,Providence,Missouri,TexasTechandMinnesota.

PlaygroundElite'sJordanPoolescored19intheloss,buryingafewlongthreesdownthestretchtokeepthegameclose.

IllinoiswasamongtheschoolswatchingPoole,No.97inthe2017Rivals150.

San Diego StateClick Here to view this Link. coach Steve FisherClick Here to view this Link. was among the head coaches at Homestead Thursday, keeping an eye on Aztec commitment Nolan NarainClick Here to view this Link. of U-PLAY and targets Vance JacksonClick Here to view this Link. and Brendan BaileyClick Here to view this Link. of Dream Vision.

Soon-to-retire Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan spent the bulk of the day in Mequon, showing that he's very much keeping involved in the Badgers' recruiting after announcing that this coming season will be his last.

Click Here to view this Link.