On this, one of the biggest days in the lives of elite prep basketball players, Mike LaTulip will go about his normal business.

No big signing-day ceremony for the Mt. Prospect (Ill.) High senior, no big media requests. He’ll go to class and basketball practice as usual.

“Just the everyday grind, you know,” LaTulip says.

And that’s exactly how the 6-foot guard wants it, because it means he’ll be suiting up at the University of Illinois next fall. Having accepted in late September an offer from coach Bruce Weber to be a preferred walk-on, LaTulip won’t be signing any sort of letter of intent in the next week or next spring. His membership on the Illini basketball team won’t become official until next June when he plans to enroll for summer classes.

It’s not much for the way of attention, but that’s fine with LaTulip.

“I’m the type of the guy, I want to play the highest level, and I want to succeed at the highest level,” says LaTulip, giving his reasoning for passing up multiple low-major scholarship offers.

Though guys like LaTulip may be the forgotten men on this signing day, he does possess an elite skill that shouldn’t be overlooked: the ability to shoot, and from deep. It will be LaTulip’s calling card and – if he can adjust and improve in the other areas in due time – would be his ticket onto the floor for a team that has lacked a knock-down shooter on the wing in recent years.

For his part, LaTulip is encouraged on several fronts. One, a gym is a gym, the hoop’s still 10 feet high in college and it’s not like he hasn’t routinely knocked threes from 20 feet, 9 inches – “I got a quick release, I think I can get my shot off on just about anyone. It doesn’t matter if the guy guarding me is 6-1 or 6-7,” he says.

Two, he’s a Jimmer Fredette fan. The former BYU sharpshooter took college basketball by storm last year by finding ways to make up for a lack of speed by getting off tough shots, says LaTulip, who believes he has a similar modus operandi.

“You got to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” LaTulip says.

Sounds like the right attitude to take to a place if you’re a preferred walk-on.

“This isn’t going to be a walk in the park, and I know that from the get-go. But I’m looking forward to waking up every day and knowing every single day is going to be a challenge, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” LaTulip says.