The following post was written by staff writer Jeremy Werner.

Basketball Complex and the Assembly Hall were buzzing with high school basketball excitement on Sunday for the University of Illinois team shootout.

The shootout showcased many talents that could soon be wearing orange and blue.

- Despite being kicked off Waukegan in February for arguing with coaches, Jereme Richmond played for the Bulldogs on Sunday. The 6-foot-6 Illinois verbal commit showed plenty of the talent that makes him a consensus top-10 recruit in the Class of 2010. He had a put-back slam off a rebound, hanging on the rim for a second after the dunk to the delight of some Illinois players and coaches.

Richmond is by far the most talented player on his team, which seemed to frustrate him quite a bit. He did not seem happy after Waukegan’s game against Limestone, talking to his parents with an annoyed look on his face.

- Limestone sophomore Donivine Stewart looks more like a football player than a basketball player. Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard doesn’t expect the 5-foot-10 point guard to grow much more but said it shouldn’t be a problem because he is “stocky.”

Stewart plays more like a senior than a sophomore. He was constantly communicating with teammates and looks like the type of leader any coach would want. Stewart received an offer from Weber as a freshman and hasn’t received an offer from any other school. He said playing with Richmond and Crandall Head would be a benefit of committing to Illinois.

“I like (Richmond’s) game,” Stewart said. “He’s big. He can be a force on the inside or outside.”

- Illinois commits Joseph Bertrand (Sterling) and Brandon Paul (Warren) got a firsthand glimpse at each other. The future teammates defended each other, and it made for a pretty entertaining basketball game. Both were offensive forces. Each time one made a spectacular move or shot, the other seemed to follow with an equally impressive play.

“(Bertrand’s) really explosive,” Paul said. “He’s really explosive.”

“(Paul’s) a really good player,” Bertrand said. “It was really fun playing against him.”

- Former Chicago Bull Dickie Simpkins was in attendance to watch Warren’s Brandon Paul. Simpkins has taken Paul under his wings as his offseason coach. Paul has seen his value increase lately and could have the most potential of any 2009 recruit.

- Crandall Head did not play in the shootout but was in attendance. Head is deciding on whether to return to Rich South for his junior season. Scout.com’s No. 12 prospect in the Class of 2010 said he has not made a decision yet.

Head said he has been lifting weights and working on his shot with his brother, Houston Rockets guard and former Illinois player Luther Head.

- Tyler Griffey, a 6-foot-8 forward from Wildwood, Mo., showed up to the shootout as well despite his team not being in the field. Griffey has been participating in the adidas Nations program and has been coached by former NBA coaches Paul Silas and Dwayne Casey.

Griffey said he will not participate in as many AAU tournaments because he is committed to Illinois. He said taking some time away from the AAU circuit will allow him to get stronger in the weight room.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 at 11:05 pm and is filed under Illini Basketball, recruiting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.