Illinois State is expected to sign junior college guard Austin Hill and prep school power forward Jackie Carmichael to national letters of intent on Wednesday. Yet the Redbirds could have another basketball recruit soon, although he might not be signing.

Tony Lewis of Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, plans to visit the ISU campus this weekend. The Chicago native is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound power forward who averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds this past season and earned first-team junior college Division II All-American status.

Lewis is no stranger to ISU assistant coach Paris Parham and senior-to-be guard Osiris Eldridge. Parham coached Eldridge and Lewis at Phillips Academy in Chicago.

Ellsworth coach Troy Muilenberg said Lewis already has taken a visit to Southern Illinois. “He will be deciding not long after the visit to Illinois State,” said Muilenberg.

ISU does not have any scholarships available for next season right now, and Coach Tim Jankovich doesn’t anticipate any players leaving or not being eligible at the moment. The Redbirds were in a similar situation last year and brought in Kellen Thornton with the stipulation he would be put on scholarship for the 2009-10 season.

Thornton ended up on scholarship this past season when Kenyon Smith was declared academically ineligible.

Southern Illinois added a power forward earlier this week. Gene Teague, Jr., of Vineland, N.J., announced he would sign with the Salukis. Teague is 6-foot-9 and 285 pounds. Teague committed to South Florida in 2008 but didn’t qualify academically, going to prep school this year at Living Faith Christian Academy.

Whether SIU adding Teague is a good sign or not for ISU is debatable. The Salukis still have one scholarship available.