The Biggest Happening In Illinois On Signing Day? It's At The D3 Level!

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

November 10, 2011

11:00 A.M. CST

We agree with anyone out there who says that from an Illinois standpoint the first day of the Fall signing period for high school basketball recruits was as uneventful as any in recent memory.  Not only is that because the 2012 class in Illinois is weak in comparison with all the great classes in recent years, but with the accelerated pace that recruiting continues to take with commitments coming earlier and earlier, there wasn't too much out there that people didn't know about months (and in some cases even a year) ago.

That is why it makes our day when we can report with 100 percent sincerity that as far as we are concerned the most significant recruiting story in Illinois as it pertains to Signing Day involves a local D3 university that has landed two significant 2012 recruits.  To be more specific, we are talking about the fact that 6'4 wing Jordan Smith and 6'5 forward Nate Brooks have committed to the University Of Chicago.  Simply put, this has feel-good story written all over it and for more reasons than one.  What is most ironic is that with Smith and Brooks going the D3 route, neither are on an athletic scholarship and there will be no signing ceremony.  But mark our word when we say that everything is a done deal.

To begin with, Smith and Brooks are elite students academically, with Brooks sporting a 30 ACT score.  What their decisions prove is that in some instances there is more to recruiting than just basketball, as it should be.  Both players are excited about the prospects of being able to stay close to home and play together for four years, but most importantly they are craving the opportunity to get a great education at one of the top academic institutions in the country.

Secondly, there is no doubt in our minds that basketball-wise both Smith and Brooks could have played college basketball at a higher level--certainly at a D2 school and probably even at some low D1s.  They were recruited by programs at all of these levels and competed on the traveling team circuit this past summer for the Illinois Warriors.

Although Smith and Brooks both fall victim to the dreaded "tweener" tag to a degree, they are both highly athletic and can play above the rim.  They also have great instincts on the glass and are capable of scoring points on put backs and simply being in the right place.  Smith has also worked hard at expanding his shooting range and has started to look more comfortable on the perimeter, while Brooks is a true "garbage man" who does a considerable portion of his team's dirty work inside.

While we agree with those who say that terms such as "coup" (a term that we absolutely loathe in the recruiting circle), and "great get" tend to be overused, make no mistake about it--Smith and Brooks are recruiting steals for head coach Mike McGrath and the Maroons in the truest sense of the word.  We will even take it a step further and say that they are the steals of the year for any college program when it comes to anything relating to the 2012 class in Illinois.  

There are a ton of kudos that need to be passed around with respect to how the Smith and Brooks decisions came about.  The obvious ones go to McGrath and assistant coach Drew Adams, who simply did an outstanding job of getting in on Smith and Brooks early and selling them on everything that the University of Chicago has to offer, both academically and athletically.  However, Whitney Young head coach Tyrone Slaughter also deserves a ton of credit.  While many coaches often try to big time D3 schools when it comes to their recruits, that was not the case with Slaughter whatsoever.  In fact, it was quite the contrary, as he openly embraced Smith's and Brook's decisions and realizes the tremendous opportunity that lies ahead of them.

There is no question that McGrath and Adams are building something special on Chicago's south side and that the Smith and Brooks commitments could succeed in giving the Maroons men's basketball program a whole new identity.  Coming on the heels of a 2011 recruiting class which included a pair of Illinois high school products in 5'11 guard Royce Muskeyvalley from Rock Island and 6'2 guard Ryan Davis from Deerfield, this should definitely help open the door even further when it comes to high school basketball recruits in Illinois who are also elite in the classroom giving McGrath and the Maroons a serious look.  And on a day such as yesterday where there tends to be a heavy heap of recruiting overanalysis and meaningless drivel, from our perspective it doesn't get much better than this.   

****************************************************************************************************************

We welcome comments regarding this story or any other entry published by Illinois Prep Bulls-eye.  They can be made by e-mailing us at royandharv@ilprepbullseye.com.   

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to recruiting and high school basketball in Illinois.