Turner not committed, yet

Word has been floating around that Evan Turner is on the verge of committing to Illinois after his visit there last weekend. Turner, a 6-foot-7, 185-pound perimeter player from St. Joseph's High School in Chicago, told Rivals.com that he still needs to think about it, but a commitment to Illinois could happen before the July evaluation period.

"I'm not sure yet on what I'm going to do," said Turner, when asked if he is on the verge of a commitment to Illinois. "I need to sit down and think about it. I came back from my visit there really excited, but I don't want to rush into something."

Turner, the No. 23 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, does acknowledge Illinois as his leader and also acknowledged that if he does make a commitment before July it will be to the Big Ten school.

"If I do commit soon, it will be to Illinois," he said. "It would be a great situation to be with my family, and I would love to play with the players that they have there. We could be very good.

"Illinois always finds a way to win even when people say the team is down."

There are five other schools in contention with Illinois to land Turner. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa have all three offered and are on his list.

Two other schools, Duke and Florida, are persuading Turner to hold off on a commitment before July so their head coaches can evaluate him.

Both schools are appealing to Turner, but they might not be appealing enough to hold off a June commitment to Illinois.

"There is a chance I'll commit, but it is really hard to say," Turner said. "I don't know what the chances are."

Rivals.com will get another look at Turner on the court at the NBA Players Camp June 21-24.

Evan Turner scouting report:

Turner is a smooth athlete at nearly 6-foot-7 who plays like a budding new age point guard. He handles the ball equally well with either hand and has a superb hesitation move going either direction. He is also able to guard four positions on the court. He does need to get stronger and improve his shooting range. But with his fluid handle, mid-range capabilities, court vision and defensive prowess, Turner is developing into an elite prospect.