Class of 2011 scouting report

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Monday marks the beginning of the crazy month known as the July recruiting period. The Illinois coaching staff will jet around the country to watch recruits, if only to be seen by prospective targets.

Bruce Weber, Jay Price, Wayne McClain and Jerrance Howard will check in on Class of 2010 commitments Jereme Richmond, Crandall Head and Meyers Leonard who will all play against some of the country's top talent at national AAU tournaments.

But most of the Illini coaching staff's attention will be on the Class of 2011. Scout.com and Rivals.com both recently updated rankings for the nation's junior class with almost all the Illinois targets on the list

IlliniHQ breaks down the recruits and their rankings.

Quincy Miller, SF

Winston-Salem (NC) Quality Education Academy

Scout rank: No. 8

Rivals rank: No. 3

Miller, a 6-foot-8 forward, moved to North Carolina from Chicago almost two years ago. The Illini offered the five-star recruit, who some compare to Kevin Durant, but will have a tough time pulling Miller away from Tobacco Road.

Bradley Beal, SG

St. Louis (Mo.) Chaminade

Scout rank: No. 9

Rivals rank: No. 7

Beal, a 6-foot-3 sharpshooter, averaged 23.5 points per game as a sophomore and led Chaminade to a state championship. He earned a spot on the USA Basketball U-16 National team and led the gold medal team with 19 points per game. Kansas and Florida seem to lead for the five-star recruit, but Illinois is still definitely in the mix. Beal plans on making a decision this fall.

Wayne Blackshear, SG

Chicago Morgan Park

Scout rank: No. 12

Rivals rank: No. 16

Blackshear oozes athleticism and potential. He has yet to put it all together on the court - he had to sit out the rest of the high school season after transferring to Morgan Park from Chicago Curie in January. Nonetheless, he remains a target of many of the nation's top programs, including Louisville and Texas. Word is Blackshear isn't attracted to Illinois, though they will certainly make a push for the talented Morgan Park junior.

Mike Shaw, PF

Chicago (Ill.) De La Salle

Scout rank: No. 13

Rivals rank: No. 19

Much like Blackshear, Shaw is more potential and athleticism than production at this point. He's slipped in the minds of local talent evaluators but remains at the top of the list for many national programs. The 6-foot-8 forward plays more like a wing player at this stage in his career.

Chasson Randle, SG

Rock Island (Ill.)

Scout rank: No. 49

Rivals rank: No. 42

Randle, a 6-foot-3 guard, doesn't have the athleticism of some of the top prospects, but he definitely produces. Randle averaged 18 points, six rebounds and five assists as a sophomore, earning News-Gazette Al-State honors. Like Beal, Randle made the 16-U National team. He averaged 6.2 points. Illinois is high on his list, along with Iowa State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, among others.

Sam Thompson, SG

Chicago Whitney Young

Scout rank: No. 48

Rivals rank: No. 63

Thompson, a 6-foot-6 forward, is athletic as they come. He will play an increased role for the defending champion Dolphins this season. He holds offers from Illinois, Indiana and Oregon State. Unlike most prospects, Thompson has not delved into the recruiting process yet, so there's no telling who leads in his recruitment. We'll see if anything changes this summer.

Tracy Abrams, PG

Chicago Mt. Carmel

Scout rank: No. 63

Rivals rank: No. 70

Illinois' lone Class of 2011 commit, Abrams is ranked higher by local talent evaluators. The 6-foot junior is a top-notch point guard and is extending his shooting range. All those that have seen him play have come away quite impressed.

Nnana Egwu

Chicago St. Ignatius

Scout rank: N/A

Rivals rank: No. 39

Talk about a kid who has skyrocketed onto the national scene. Egwu, a 6-foot-9 center, has only been playing basketball for two years but has already shown enough defensive potential and offensive progress to earn offers from Illinois, Northwestern, Oregon State, Purdue and Wisconsin. Illinois is in good shape with the talented big man.

Ryan Boatright

East Aurora (Ill.)

Scout rank: N/A

Rivals rank: No. 89

Boatright, a 5-foot-11 point guard, was the center of national attention after committing to USC as an eighth grader. But after Tim Floyd's resignation amid NCAA rules infraction allegations, Boatright has reopened his commitment. Illinois likely won't pursue Boatright too much because it already has its point guard (Abrams), but they'll certainly keep an eye on the speedy and springy Boatright.

James Siakam, SF

Chicago Whitney Young

Scout rank: N/A

Rivals rank: No. 96

Siakam, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks a game for Carbondale (Ill.) Brehm Prep. The Cameroon native plays a similar game to Illini senior Dominique Keller: he does the dirty work. He's a strong rebounder and shot blocker and is in the process of extending his jump shot to 18-feet. Illinois doesn't have a "junkyard dog" type of player set to play in 2011, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they are monitoring Siakam closely.

 

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