A closer look at the Illini '07 recuiting class

According to the News-Gazette, the Illini have secured their fifth and final commitment from Rodney Alexander for the 2007 incoming class. While nothing has been made official (Alexander has until the end of the spring signing period, May 16), I'm going to assume it is official that Alexander will be with the Illini next year. Because this class is complete, and this is the first time in years that all of the scholarships have been used up, I thought I'd take a closer look at the players the Illini will be getting.

PG Demetri McCamey - Demetri was the first commit from the 2007 class (if memory serves). I could bore you with statistics and everything, but why would I do that? Demetri's got pretty good size for a PG at 6'3", and he should fit right into the relatively tall Illini backcourt. Demetri, as many of you may know, is also known for the time he spends with Big Brothers of America, as he often volunteers much of his time with that program. In addition to that, he volunteers at numerous hospitals and retirement homes. It is said that Demetri saves at least one person's life a week just by showing up and brightening their day.

PF Bill Cole - Bill was technically the second to commit to the Illini. Well, not technically I don't think, but of the people who actually signed LOI's, Bill was the first. He has helped lead Richwoods to various successes in recent years, including a 2nd place finish in the offensive shootout vs. Chicago Simeon in March, 2006, in which the game was tied at 29 at the end of regulation. One of the commonly known facts about Bill around the Peoria area (with which I have become increasingly familiar) is that, while not very imposing, he has the strength of 10 men. He often puts on feats on strength for anyone who asks him. Rumor has it that if you make him mad enough, he will go on a phonebook tearing rampage. And we all know that that's never pretty.

C Mike Tisdale - The third of the 2007 commitments (it has recently dawned on me that I could be way off on these), Mike Tisdale may be one of the most controversial. He committed very early for a Class A player, and he also seems to have a similar build to one Nick Smith. Really, pretty much any comparison to Nick Smith is grounds for disturbance, and I'm sure it's one that Mike is not comfortable with. Anyways, in his free time, you can find Nick volunteering for the Riverton Fire Department. No, he doesn't fight fires. He takes advantage of his length by rescuing adorable kittens and puppies from trees and roofs. He also cleans gutters and gets kites out of trees. Oh, he probably works on his game too.

SG Quincy Watkins - Quincy was a recruit who came out of nowhere pretty much (I can guarantee he was the fourth commit). Watkins was sort of late to the game when it came to garnering attention, but he certainly managed to do so, as both Arizona and UCLA showed interest. He (19.7ppg, 4.2rbg)emerged as a scoring threat down the stretch, so Illini fans are optimistic that he can continue improvement and give the Illini the scoring they desperately lack. Quincy is sort of a local hero in Compton, as he once walked into a convenience store while it was being held up. Quincy was overcome by adrenaline and beat up both of the thieves, absorbing two gunshots in the process. I use the term absorbing loosely, however, as numerous eye-witness accounts report the bullets appeared to bounce off of Quincy's chest and fall to floor. Quincy then rescued a runaway stroller from a busy intersection and helped 4 separate old women across the street. Then he returned to kick the thieves' asses a little bit.

SF(?) Rodney Alexander - The final piece of the recruiting puzzle this year is Rodney Alexander. A direct descendant of Fresno State standout Courtney Alexander, Rodney is a JuCo transfer from Redlands Community College in Oklahoma. He averaged about 13 and 5 this past season, but at 6'7", he possesses excellent size and athleticism. Not much is known about him to the Illini faithful, except that he was recruited by Oklahoma, Indiana, Tennessee and Kansas State. They're all losers. A fun fact about Redlands Community College, they actually teach a course there called Crop Art. The class explains various styles of crop art, including Alien Circles, and then the students are called upon to create their own designs. Rodney won first place for his submission of The Accolade, and then the entire class went out to a nearby cornfield to bring Rodney's creation to life.

Now imagine this in crop-form

So it looks like the Illini should have a pretty excellent class coming in, and at least three of the players should be able to be impact players. Some of them may even have some superhuman powers as well. I look forward to excellent years to come.