Illini, Weber get commitments from pair of in-state stars

Friday, October 12, 2007 8:22 PM CDT

CHAMPAIGN — University of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber has received verbal commitments from a pair of guards for the Class of 2009, getting a thumbs-up from D.J. Richardson of Peoria Central High School and Brandon Paul of Warren Township in Gurnee.

Both are high school juniors.

Richardson, a versatile 6-foot-4 shooting guard, is the latest in a string of standout players from Peoria who have attended Illinois. The current roster includes Peorians Brian Randle, Jamar Smith and Bill Cole.

Paul, another athletic shooting guard, has emerged as one of the top players in the state, and he and Richardson should give Weber exactly what he’s been seeking: Players who can shoot and score and who also have the athletic ability to be tenacious defenders.

Richardson’s would-be suitors included Tennessee, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky, Georgetown, Ohio State, Marquette and North Carolina State. He visited the Illini campus last weekend and attended a portion of the Illinois-Wisconsin football game while spending time with current players Demetri McCamey and Jeff Jordan.

Paul was being recruited by Iowa, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Texas, Florida, Purdue, SIU, Southern Cal and Northwestern.

Richardson is described on the midstatehoops.com Web site as “an athletic guard with a long build. He’s a hard worker with a ton of potential. The do-it-all guard can do just that; do it all. He’s a solid ball-handler, penetrator, defender, passer, creator and rebounder. … He is the next big thing out of Peoria.”

The same Web site sizes up Paul this way: “An athletic guard who has learned to score in many ways. Paul is very long and has good size for the guard position. He holds a frame that will allow him to put on muscle, which is always a good thing.”

New Illini assistant coach Jerrance Howard, who has been on the job just three weeks, rushed to get involved with each prospect, and he was reportedly at Peoria Central on Thursday along with Weber and assistant coach Wayne McClain.

The Illini coaches are not permitted to discuss recruits until they have signed the official letters of intent, which cannot happen until November 2008.

The commitments come a few days after Illinois missed out on junior-college swingman Mario Little, who picked Kansas over Illinois and Kansas State.

The additions of Richardson and Paul should give Weber a solid base as he builds into the future. He still has openings for the 2008 class (although could choose to hold those). Illinois has been hustling in pursuit of big man Stan Simpson, a 6-foot-9 post presence who has transferred from Chicago Leo to Chicago Simeon.

Both Richardson and Paul are scheduled to attend tonight’s Illini Madness.