Class of 2009 forward/center Zeke Schneider of Metamora is without a doubt one of the top remaining post presences left on the board in the state of Illinois. Schneider stands at 6 foot 9 inches and a robust 215 lbs with an arsenal of post moves and a good motor. While many programs throughout the state are finishing up their offseason conditioning programs and going through preseason workouts, Schneier and his teammates at Metamora are not only doing that but also adapting to their new coach, Jim Youngman.

“Yeah we have a new high school coach, so we have just been doing workouts and all that stuff,” Schneider stated. “Coach Youngman, he is really good and we are just learning everything he does. He has had a lot of coaches come in,” said Schneider.

This summer Schneider suffered a leg injury that shut him down for July and the most crucial part of his recruitment, the July evaluation period. It’s safe to say Schneider has resurfaced after working hard to recover from his injury, and has now put himself in a position to be a nice get for his potential college suitors.

“I have been talking with Northern Illinois a lot lately I went up there for an unofficial. I went down to Mercer in Georgia, I haven’t been to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville yet, but I am going down soon: they have offered. Mercer I visited a few weekends ago, it was really nice I liked it a lot. I went around the campus then to Mercer Madness and I’m going back when they play Georgia Tech at home.”

Aside from offers from NIU, SIU-E, and Mercer the list doesn’t end there according to Schneider, “Quincy, Colgate, Centenary, and American have all offered as well.”

“Wright State and Ohio are showing some interest also. I probably will make a commitment in the middle of the season and then sign in the late period in March or whenever it is.”

With his injury now behind him, Schneider is prepared to have a big season, “Yeah, the season is going to fun and are new coach is really good.” Metamora will open in the Canton Turkey Tournament along with Macomb, Peoria Notre Dame, and Canton

Class of 2009 combo guard Jeremy Jones of Simeon High School is poised to come into his own and breakout this upcoming season after a stellar fall and summer. Jones is a long 6 foot 2 inches with an uncanny ability to knock down shots from long range, and the kid is clutch. With Simeon’s first game in nearly a month’s time, when they will square off with national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy at the Marshall County Hoopfest, Jones is steadily prepping for the season and weighing his college choices.

“Yeah this is our last week of conditioning, and then we start practice next Monday,” stated Jones. “It’s the last week so we made it through, it was alright. I mean it was hard, but it wasn’t it was just long and a lot of running it wasn’t that bad though,” said Jones.

After breakout performances at Nike MDOC, Nike Peach Jam, and AAU Super Showcase the latter two coming in front of dozens of college coaches, Jones recruiting stock really elevated.

“Basically the only two right now are Kent State and University of Detroit. Both have offered, I am supposed to visit Detroit on the 7th of this month, and Kent State hasn’t scheduled a visit yet. I most likely won’t make the Detroit visit on the 7th, but we are rescheduling it. Kyle (Cain) is going to Detroit on the 7th instead. I will visit Kent State also; I just have to set the visit up with them. It’s really just those two schools right now and whoever else will jumps in during the season,” commented Jones.

While Jones is not planning to make a decision anytime soon, he has a few preferences for his future college. “I know for sure that I am waiting to make a decision after the season. I’m just looking for a good program, location, academics, and coaches all that, and just overall where I fit in at.” Also another possibility Jones is looking at is teaming up with his Illinois Warriors teammate and best friend Kyle Cain from T.F. North. Cain is also being heavily recruited by University of Detroit. “It really makes Detroit’s chances a lot better. We talk about it all the time playing in college together,” Jones said.

With lofty goals every year at Simeon they again are no different this year. “Nothing less than state title, I think we can win it all; we got a great chance to do that and win the city also. I can’t tell you how excited I am for the season.”

2009 forward Shaun Pratl (Richards) just felt the timing was right and was ready to pull the trigger on Eastern Illinois.

“Everyone I talked to about recruiting told me that somewhere would just feel right. And to me Eastern did just that. I’m real excited to turn this program around and help add to this young team,” said Pratl.

Many motives factored into Pratl’s decision, but the one that stuck out above the rest was location. “Location was a huge part of the commitment as well. I really want my family and friends to be able to see me play.”

This 2009 forward is a big-time catch for EIU and figures to get minutes right away, “The players have all been texting me saying I was the missing piece. For them to say that to me really means something.”

Along with Eastern Illinois, Pratl received interest from all over the board Boston University, Illinois State, Indiana State, Penn State, and Iowa were all among the suitors.  Expect a big and productive season from this 6-8 forward who says he is out just to lead his team to victories.

2011 star Chasson Randle (Rock Island) took in a visit on University of Wisconsin’s campus this past weekend. He got a chance to talk with coaches and academic advisers, caught a football game, and toured the campus and facilities.

“It was good,” said Randle of the visit, “I loved it they showed me the campus, the football game was crazy, and the student section was loud. I got a good feel for everything and had good talk with Coach Ryan and Coach Close they guys are pretty good I enjoyed it.

“The campus and the coaches are what really stood out in my mind. I just really liked the talk I had with them and I enjoyed it. They showed me around everything, arena, and weight room we also talked with the academic advisers.”

Alongside Randle on his unofficial visit were Illinois Wolves teammates Devon Hodges and Nnana Egwu. “It was real comforting, I could talk with somebody and tell them my comments. We also had fun we were telling jokes, just playing around, i definitely have fun with my teammates,” Randle said.

In the meantime, Randle is excited for upcoming season and poised to lead Rock Island to new heights. “Man, man, man am I excited about the upcoming season. I am really exited I just got done working out with my team at open gym. I am really looking forward to the season.”

Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, and Purdue are all among the schools recruiting Randle the hardest at this point in time.

“I have been to all of their campuses, but I am going to check out Illinois again soon, maybe even this weekend I just want to get a good look at the campus.”

Class of 2009 forward Shaun Pratl (Richards) recently embarked on two official visits. One was a stone’s throw away from home, at Eastern Illinois, while the other was quite a distance away at Boston University. Pratl is a 6-8 forward who has a versatile game and a wide array of moves in the post and in transition. These two official visits come not long after he decided to play college basketball, rather than football.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Pratl of the visit to Boston. “I mean no one in my family had ever been to Boston, one of my friends who had been to Boston just told me I was going to love it. It was really cool; the city is way different from Chicago. It’s more laid back and ‘chill,’ kind of slower than Chicago and I kind of like that. The team was pretty cool, the coaches were awesome they seemed like just a couple of the guys on the team. I had a lot fun out there, it was nice weather and the city really likes sports everywhere I went someone was talking about Patriots, Red Sox, Boston College, BU. It was pretty cool.”

On top of the city, Pratl liked a lot more of what the school had to offer. “Yeah it’s a great education out in Boston,” he stated. “They said the scholarship is worth almost like $200,000 for four years, and I couldn’t complain with that. They said once you get a degree from Boston you’re pretty much set.”

Two weeks prior Pratl visited Eastern Illinois, and thoroughly enjoyed his visit, “The visit to Eastern was everything I expected it to be. I have some friends that go to Eastern and they say I will never have a bad time. I did have a lot of fun it’s definetly a college campus. It was really a good time down there,” said Pratl.

“The players are really what sold me at Eastern most of them are freshman and sophomores and I will be playing with them for the next two or three years. That’s definetly a big thing and they were all cool. It just seems through the whole process they have wanted me the whole time and they have been patient I just really feel like they really do want me. The coaching staff was awesome at Eastern I have known these guys for a little bit now because they have been recruiting me probably the longest. They have been honest with me the whole time and said I was going to be the first guy to visit.”

Will location be a factor or not? “That’s the thing I’m going to have to decide, I mean it really is huge that my family and friends see my games and stuff. BU games are on the Internet so I guess it wouldn’t be a huge deal, and I liked Boston enough that I could live out there and not mind it. But at the same time it’s kind of important part of my decision that my family is able to see me play,” commented Pratl.

With two visits out of the way and his senior season around the corner, Pratl decision could be coming soon. “It’s pretty much up in the air between those two (EIU and BU) and Saint Louis is a third option. Saint Louis has offered, but I don’t know about them. I might be going down to SLU tomorrow or this weekend. I just want to get the decision out of the way and start focusing on the season coming up.”

This 6-8 forward remains one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state of IL.  So keep it tuned to illinoishsbasketball.com for the latest news and updates…

2010 guard Karl Madison (Springfield Lanphier) took a trip up north this week past weekend to Northwestern where he took in a football game, practice, and toured the campus.

“It was really nice I enjoyed the visit a lot. When I got there I first toured the campus it was really nice, and then I was able to meet the team and take in a football game. It was a lot of fun. I talked with Carmody the head coach for a while then we went to the football game. It really was a lot of fun,” said Madison about his visit.

Madison had many likes about the school, but what stood out in his mind were academics and the coaches.

“Yes I like the academics side of it a lot. It’s a private school and not to big. Tavaras Hardy, he is a really cool coach, I really bonded with him, the other coaches are real nice as well. They haven’t offered me a scholarship yet, but they are close. I could see myself playing at Northwestern.”

“Wichita State is on me pretty hard. I have also been receiving a lot of mail from Miami (FL), Georgia Tech, Marquette, Kansas State, Illinois State, and Stanford,” commentated Madison about other schools taking a note on him. Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Missouri State, and Texas-Arlington are all among the schools who Madison has a standing offer from.

Class of 2011 star Jacob Williams formerly of St. Patrick High School recently got caught up in a bad situation and is looking for a new a school as a result of the incident.

Williams got kicked out of the private school after he allegedly took an iPod from another student. According to Williams nothing was stolen and it was a big misunderstanding that will soon be resolved. “I was messing with my friend and he didn’t know (that I was just messing around) so he reported (the incident). Then he found out (that I was just messing around), and he didn’t care that I had (the IPod), but the school didn’t take it that way,” explained Williams.

What’s next for this 2011 budding star? “I go to get my transcripts tomorrow and see if I can get into Bartlett. I got a house out there, my daddy stays (in Hanover Park). If I don’t play at Bartlett I’m going to just work out with Tim Grover a lot. I think it be will unfair out at Bartlett, and I really don’t want to play out there. I really like St. Pats a lot, and if everything goes right I should be able to go back next year when I have my license.”

If things don’t work out with St. Pats, Williams has options. “Yeah other schools have contacted me: Von Steuben, Foreman, Gordon Tech, Glenbard East, and there were some more schools, but I wasn’t trying to hear it.”

Illinois, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Oregon, Oregon State, Northwestern, Kansas, Purdue, Akron, Iowa State, and Florida among others were some of the schools expressing interest in Williams and checking him out in open gym this fall.

Class of 2010 “space cadet” Brandon Spearman (Simeon) recently picked up his first ACC offer, courtesy of Miami (FL).

“Miami, I mean they have been looking at me since I was a freshman. They called me and said they wanted me to go to school there and offered me a scholarship. They also said I should come check out the school, campus, and facilities see how I like it,” said Spearman.

With conditioning in full swing, Spearman is steadily preparing for his first season at Simeon. “It’s been good, real good, I’ve been working real hard in the gym. At Simeon everyone works hard, you really have to go hard on everything and can’t take anything off.

We go hard or Coach Rob (Smith) is throwing us out the gym, but Coach Rob is a nice guy he wants the best for us on and off the court.”

With personal agendas out the window, Spearman and the rest of Simeon’s squad have one goal in mind, “Win state is the main goal that’s what I am really excited about. The chemistry wasn’t there at Hales, but at Simeon everything is more team orientated.”

As for the rest of Spearman’s recruiting picture, he has offers from Ohio, Dayton, Indiana State, and Baylor. Spearman is also hearing from other schools all over the board. “Virginia, West Virginia, Cincinnati are coming into the picture. Kentucky is still talking to me and I talked to Kansas the other day, they are going to come up for a game or two. Iowa State came and checked me out a time or two in open gym so they are definitely in as well.”

Last weekend several big named basketball recruits took in a football game, toured the facilities, and mingled with the coaches at the University of Illinois. Among those big named prospects included 2011 standout Wayne Blackshear. Blackshear is without a doubt one of the elite prospects in the state of Illinois and across the nation. On Friday he spoke with illinoishsbasketball.com on how he feels about the University of Illinois and about his expectations for the visit, that he has now already taken, to Texas.

The 6 foot 5 Curie shooting guard is going to have many colleges to choose from when it comes time for him to declare his college intentions. After a stellar summer with the Mac Irvin Fire and a great showing at the Reebok All-American camp, Blackshear has the full attention of eite colleges across the nation. However, this past weekend Blackshear got his very first official scholarship offer on his very first college visit at the University of Illinois.

“Illinois was my first visit I have been on so it was pretty eye opening and fun. I got to go to a college football game that I had never been to before. I met with college players and coaches for the first time and went around the facilities and everything it was really nice,” said Blackshear.

While Blackshear said he is in no hurry to commit he did say this about Illinois:“Yeah I could see myself playing there- a lot of good, and top players like myself have gone there. Some of them are in the classes ahead of me, but I could see myself going there,” he added.

After tripping to Champaign this past weekend, Blackshear is heading even farther south down to University of Texas where he will accompanied by Mac Irvin Fire coach Mike Irvin and teammate Mike Shaw. Blackshear will again take in a football game, midnight madness, tour the facilities, and mingle with players and coaches.

What is Blackshear expecting this time around? “The same thing when I went to Illinois. You know take me around the school and facilities meet the players and coaches.”

As for schools keeping tabs on Blackshear in open gym this fall the list includes: Florida, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and SIU among others. Blackshear is still recovering from a bum ankle but says he its feeling better daily.

Class of 2010 guard Karl Madison (Springfield Lanphier) is taking an unofficial visit today to Northwestern. “I’m expecting to get to know the coaches a little better, see the campus, and go to the football game. I really just want to get to know the coaches a lot better,” said Madison about what he is expecting this weekend. Madison currently has offers from Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Missouri State, and Texas-Arlington. Witcha State and Saint Louis are expressing interest as well.