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| U.SportsWednesday, March 5, 2008 1:53 PM CST |
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Weber goes to Texas to review Carlwell's possible replacement
CHAMPAIGN -- Bruce Weber lost another one, Tuesday. No, not an Illini basketball recruit. He lost a personal sports hero when Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced he was retiring from the National Football League. Weber, the Illini coach who is a native of Wisconsin, has always admired Favre. Given his durability, his leadership and his inclination to win, what coach wouldn't admire Favre? Bur rather than mourn Favre's decision, Weber spent Tuesday in Texas, chasing a recruit to fill the scholarship void created when center Brian Carlwell announced he intended to transfer. Even though Carlwell's father has approached Weber asking what might happen if his son changed his mind, the Illini staff can't afford to sit around and wait. So Weber was checking in on Dominique Keller, a high-scoring junior college forward who plays for Lee College in Baytown, Texas. Keller is an intriguing prospect. Illini assistant coach Jerrance Howard has been aware of Keller for some time, but without a logical scholarship opening, Illinois wasn't in position to pursue a two-year JC player. But when Carlwell said he'd like to move on, the phones began lighting up. Howard went to Texas and saw the 6-foot-7, 235-pound Keller for himself. On the night Howard was there, Keller scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. This past Saturday, he had 28 and 10. Keller has been on a tear, averaging 31 points and nine rebounds during a recent six-game stretch. I know, I know. Some of you are thinking, ''Sure, he's a 6-7 center who can do that around the basket in junior college. But in Division I, he'll be an undersized big man.'' That's what I thought, too. But that's wrong. Keller is an athletic player who will rebound out of his area. In other words, he'll chase down rebounds, and next season, when Illinois loses Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle, the team's Nos. 1 and 2 rebounders, someone is going to have to corral the ball. Keller is also athletic enough to move on defense with one coach telling me he will fight through ball screens to reach his man. He has a reputation for playing hard. But he's also a natural-born scorer who actually does most of his damage from middle-range and beyond. ''I always say some guys have special dust and some don't,'' Lee coach Roy Champagne recently told the Baytown Sun newspaper. ''Dominque has special dust. He simply knows how to put the ball in the basket.'' If Weber liked what he saw Tuesday night, Keller could be on campus for a visit as soon as Thursday, when Illinois plays Michigan State. Keller has told people he now favors Illinois over Oklahoma State and Oregon State. We'll see, but when one door closes, another often opens. That appears to be happening in the aftermath of the Carlwell decision. Weber said the staff has received a number of phone calls expressing interest in Carlwell. ''We've had calls from junior college to Division II, teams that can give him immediate eligibility,'' Weber said. ''We've heard from mid-majors and high majors, from the West Coast, East Coast and everyone in between. ''His dad came down and talked to us. He asked me how I would take it if Brian would reconsider his decision. But I haven't heard much about it since. ''(Brian) made a decision. At the time, his dad was hoping he'd stay and fight through it and get in shape and make the most of his opportunity. But we haven't had any more discussion of that.'' Carlwell's decision to look elsewhere has created a perfect opportunity for a two-year player who can bolster Illinois' front line the next two seasons. Is Dominque Keller the answer? If he is, Illinois will push hard to wrap him up quickly. Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or 421-7983. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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