Pruitt Excited About Illinois

Shaun Pruitt was all smiles after he had signed his Letter of Intent to Illinois, which made his commitment official. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound power forward from West Aurora High School in Aurora, IL., really enjoyed the recruiting process, but was more than ready to put that behind him and, more importantly, focus all of his attention towards his senior year.

“Yea, Shaun signed his Letter of Intent yesterday. He and Justin Cerasoli signed their papers together and they really had a good time,” Mr. Pruitt said. “Several of our family members attended the event and some of the local media showed up as well.

“I think Shaun is very happy that everything is done and over with in terms of his recruitment,” he added. “Making a decision between Illinois and Michigan State was extremely tough on him, but he is happy with the decision he made. We have not had the opportunity to speak with Coach Bruce Weber yet, but we have been in contact with all three assistant coaches.”

There was a time during Pruitt’s recruitment when it looked like he was bound for Michigan State. At that point, the Pruitt family did not know a lot about Coach Weber and how his program would be directed, but Weber quickly put those concerns to rest.

“Yes, I think Shaun is becoming more comfortable with Coach Weber, and I also think he has a better feel for the coach,” Mr. Pruitt said. “A lot of coaches are very intense and will spend a lot of time in a players face, trying to motivate or coach them, but that isn’t Shaun’s style and that certainly isn’t what Bruce Weber is about.

“Shaun wants to improve his game and he wants to be coached, and I think Bruce Weber will do an excellent job doing those things,” he added. “I hope to speak with Coach Weber later on in the day, as we haven’t had the opportunity to do so since Shaun signed his Letter of Intent.’

Rivals.com ranks Pruitt No. 66 on the Rivals150 list and the 19th best power forward in the class of 2004.