RECRUITING '99 -- THE TITAN CLASS OF 2003
The following individuals have announced their intentions to attend Illinois Wesleyan University...
(This page will be updated often throughout the weeks of 4/26 and 5/3.)
Boswell, Mark (6-6, 195 Forward...Kewanee H.S.)
Pantagraph 4/27 Release:
"Kewanee High School senior Mark Boswell announced Monday that he will attend Illinois Wesleyan and play basketball for the Titans.
Boswell, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward, averaged 17 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game in his final season at Kewanee.
A 79-percent free throw shooter, Boswell finished his high school career with 1,082 points and 471 rebounds. He was a unanimous first-team all-North Central Illinois Conference selection as a senior.
"Mark has the potential to be an outstanding college player," IWU coach Dennie Bridges said. "He can play inside or outside positions and will get even better as he plays with better players."
He was named to the Bloomington/Normal Holiday Classic all-tournament team as a junior.
Boswell, who plans to major in computer graphics, was an academic all-conference selection in basketball, track and golf. He may also participate in golf at IWU."
Cross, Laban (6-2, 180 Guard...McLeansboro H.S.)
McLeansboro guard Cross to play basketball for Wesleyan
First-team all-stater Laban Cross of McLeansboro High School has decided to attend Illinois Wesleyan and continue his academic and basketball careers, IWU coach Dennie Bridges said Wednesday.
Cross, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard, averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game as a senior, when he was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class A All-State first team and was chosen as the Evansville (Ind.) Courier's Illinois Player of the Year.
Cross, whose career high was 43 points in a game, was twice named his team's most valuable player and was a three-time winner of McLeansboro's free-throw shooting award. He scored 1,439 career points for the Foxes, good for fourth all-time at the school. He twice was named to the Benton all-tournament team and was an all-tourney selection and most valuable player at the 1997 Eldorado Holiday Tournament.
Cross was chosen to play for the Class A South in this summer's IBCA All-Star Game and was among six to compete in Fox Sports Chicago's IHSA Sports Net Shootout, a 3-point shooting contest held at halftime of the March 30 Philadelphia 76ers-Chicago Bulls game.
"Laban is an outstanding recruit for Illinois Wesleyan," Bridges said. "He has a chance to become our next Korey Coon, both on and off the court. Laban has the academic and athletic credentials, along with a winning mindset, to make this happen."
Coon, a 6-foot guard who will be a senior at IWU, was a two-time second-team Division III All-American and the co-winner of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin "Fred Young Most Outstanding Player" award last season. He was elected as the GTE College Division Academic All-America of the Year and was a first-team Academic All-America choice after being on the second team as a sophomore.
Cross, a National Honor Society student who ranks in the top 6 percent of his high school class and scored 32 on his ACT, plans to major in mathematics at IWU.
Hubbard, Seth (6-7, 210 Center...University High School, Normal)
Pantagraph 5/1 Release:
Seth Hubbard to continue career at IWU
By RANDY REINHARDT
"Four more years" is not a political slogan to University High School basketball coach Cal Hubbard.
It represents the continuation of his family's successful relationship with the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team.
Not quite two months after watching his son Nathan play his final game for Wesleyan, Cal Hubbard confirmed Friday that his youngest son Seth also will play for veteran IWU coach Dennie Bridges.
Seth Hubbard helped U High to three Class A State Tournament appearances and was a first-team All-State selection of the Chicago Sun-Times this past season. He was a third-team all-stater, according to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and the Associated Press.
"I wanted to go to a successful program and going to Wesleyan I know that will be the case," said the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Hubbard, the tallest of Cal and Vivian Hubbard's three sons. "I feel comfortable with what they do (on the court). That's another thing that helps."
The leading scorer in U High history, Hubbard averaged 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Pioneers as a senior. He was a three-year starter at U High and a two-time Class A All-Area choice of The Pantagraph.
"Seth is really a smart player who knows how to use his abilities and is a fierce competitor," Bridges said. "He is creative in getting his shot, has good touch and runs the court a whole lot better than many think."
Cal Hubbard said the only question about Seth attending Wesleyan was financial.
"The quality of the school is every bit as important to Seth as the quality of the basketball program. We've been impressed with the people we've dealt with at Wesleyan," he said. "Seth is an outstanding post player because of his court vision. You don't have a lot of big men who can pass like he can. Dennie does a great job with his post players. They have to be pretty flexible and Seth is perfect for that."
Seth Hubbard shot 59.4 percent from the floor and is capable of hitting the 3-pointer, a trait Bridges loves in his post players.
Nathan Hubbard was a two-time second team selection on the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-star team and the Titans' Most Valuable Player as a senior. He highly recommended Wesleyan to his younger brother.
"He made some threats on me that if I went anywhere else in the CCIW he would never speak to me again," joked Seth.
"Nathan has always been real supportive of Seth," Cal Hubbard said. "Nathan is pretty sold on Wesleyan and is excited about Seth going there."
Seth Hubbard joins a string of former U High players to continue their basketball careers at Wesleyan: John Lipic, Brady Knight, John Baines and, of course, Nathan Hubbard.
"They all have been better college players than many thought they would be and all won (CCIW) championships," Bridges said. "In the recent past, U High players have had outstanding careers at Wesleyan."
Seth Hubbard joins 6-7 Luke Kasten of Hillsboro and 6-6 Mark Boswell of Kewanee as prep standouts to opt for Wesleyan this week.
Kasten, Luke (6-7, 190 Forward...Hillsboro H.S.)
Pantagraph 4/30 release:
Hillsboro standout picks IWU
Bridges 'thrilled' with Kasten's commitment
By RANDY REINHARDT
What Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach Dennie Bridges hopes will be a large recruiting class got a large addition Thursday.
Hillsboro High School's Luke Kasten, extremely high on Bridges' wish list, has confirmed he will attend Wesleyan and play basketball for the Titans.
"This is saying a lot, but I feel Luke has the potential to develop into a Bryan Crabtree-type player," said Bridges of IWU's 1997 national Division III Player of the Year. "I'm thrilled with his decision."
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound Kasten averaged 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds for a Hillsboro team that finished 30-1 and bowed out in the super-sectional round last season. Kasten shot 65 percent from the field and 79 percent from the line. He also blocked 53 shots and had 61 steals.
Kasten said he chose IWU because of "their academics and their basketball tradition. No other school compared with their facility. It made my decision easy."
Super performance
"I saw him play in the super-sectional against White County," Bridges said. "In the first quarter he made a 15-footer going to his right, a 15-footer going to his left then followed a missed shot with slam dunk. And he ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer.
"In their scheme of things, he wasn't asked to go out on the floor that much. In our offense, we like our post men to do that. He'll fit in really well. He will grow as a player as he is given the freedom to create on the floor. He is unselfish almost to a fault and has an engaging and outgoing personality."
Kasten received various all-state honors from the Chicago Sun-Times, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and The Associated Press. The No. 3 career scorer in Hillsboro history with 1,500 points will play for the Class A South in this summer's IBCA all-star game.
'Feel for the game'
"Luke is a very intelligent young man who has a feel for the game. His communication skills and knowledge of the game are outstanding," said Hillsboro coach Dyke Buerkett. "Luke is also an up-front kind of guy and I trust his opinion because he's always given me an honest answer and knows what he's talking about. He's a blue-collar guy who works hard and will succeed in life."
Kasten joins 6-6 Kewanee forward Mark Boswell in what Bridges hopes will be a six- or seven-player recruiting class.
"I want a quality class and a big class," Bridges said. "I felt our talent level had slipped a little bit. For the first time since Korey (Coon), I'm going to give some freshmen a chance to contribute with some varsity playing time. Luke will be one of them."
Among others known to be considering Wesleyan is the University High duo of Joel Searby and Seth Hubbard.
Effingham St. Anthony guard Kyle Wente, the younger brother of IWU forward Todd Wente, considered Wesleyan but has committed to Princeton.
Silagi, Chris (6-2, 180 Guard...Oswego H.S.)
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Oswego High School's high-scoring Chris Silagi has decided to further his academic and athletic career at Illinois Wesleyan University, IWU head coach Dennie Bridges announced today.
Silagi, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard, averaged 18.5 points and five assists per game while connecting on 84 percent of his free throw attempts as a senior. He is Oswego's all-time leading scorer with 1,430 points and also holds the Panthers' school record with 184 career 3-point field goals and in free throw percentage.
A three-time first team all-Suburban Prairie Conference selection, Silagi was twice named to the first team of the all-area squad chosen by the Aurora Beacon News.
Silagi, who also holds the school mark for 3-pointers in a season, was his team's "Most Valuable Player" and captain for two seasons and led the Panthers in scoring three years.
Silagi, who plans to major in elementary education at IWU, is the son of Richard and Susan Silagi, 46 Sherwick Rd., Oswego.
Starkey, Eric (6'2, 160 Guard...Milford H.S.)
Pantagraph 5/4 release:
Milford's Starkey to play basketball at Wesleyan
High-scoring guard Eric Starkey of Milford High School has elected to further his academic and athletic career at Illinois Wesleyan, IWU coach Dennie Bridges announced Monday.
The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Starkey averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a senior, when he earned honorable mention on the Associated Press Class A all-state team and was named to the third team of the all-state squad by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
He holds Milford High School records for points in a career with 1,308 and for points in a season with 696. Starkey played for Bearcat teams in his final three varsity seasons that posted a 64-18 overall record.
Starkey was a unanimous all-Sangamon Valley Conference player as a junior and senior as well as his team's most valuable player both seasons. He was also the Class A MVP and an all-Kankakee Holiday Tournament selection as a junior and senior.
"I like my guards to be able to score and Eric averaged 26 points a game as a senior," Bridges said. "Physically, he reminds our coaching staff of (just-graduated) Nathan Hubbard when he was in high school. Our hope is that Eric develops into the same kind of player as Nathan."
Hubbard, a 6-4 guard and IWU's most valuable player last winter, was a two-time second team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection and finished his IWU career with 870 points, at No. 33 in career rebounds (388), sixth in assists (335) and seventh in 3-point field goals (109).
Starkey plans to major in a pre-law curriculum.