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It's always telling when a respected coach veers off topic to mention a player on his team who isn't the star. That was the case for this reporter during a recent chat with De La Salle coach Tom White.

During a conversation about Illini target Mike Shaw, White was sure to point out Jaylon Tate, a sophomore guard on the Meteors. Tate has already garnered interest from quite a few schools, including Illinois, which he visited last Friday for Illini Madness.

"This kid is something special. There's a lot of Big Ten schools that have already been around asking about Jaylon Tate right now...They like that he can put the ball in the basket," White said.

White also said Tate has a high level of maturity to his game. As evidence, he said Tate shot 93 percent from the free-throw line last season, and that was while playing in some close conference games while De La Salle ran the table in the league at 14-0. White also added that Tate plays "super hard" and "super under control."

Illinois has not offered Tate a scholarship as of now, and scout.com doesn't list any offers for him. At this point, Tate isn't a surefire can't-miss prospect along the lines of a Jahlil Okafor or Jabari Parker. That's in part because of his size. White said his "only rip" on Tate right now is "that he's probably only 150 pounds." But White insists the 6-foot youngster has the attitude and skill set to be successful at the next level when the time comes.

"He's a great passer. He can put the ball on the floor, and he can get himself into open situations, create for his teammate. He's really impressive," White said, adding this year will be an important one for Tate because he will have the ball in his hands much more.

At Illini Madness, Tate said he hasn't really focused too much on his recruitment. He doesn't have any plans to make a list anytime soon, and he doesn't have any favorites.

"Just wide open right now...Maybe (narrow it down) by my junior year," Tate said.