Senior Sunday: Recruiting Updates
Each Sunday in the winter we will be providing updates on a group of unsigned seniors from a variety of college levels and different parts of the state. Check out our latest Senior Sunday: Recruiting Updates!
Xavier Pinson (Simeon)
We lead off where we started off last week. Fast rising senior point guard Xavier Pinson announced on Monday night that he will play his college basketball at Missouri. After initially committing to Kent State and then backing off that verbal he garnered offers from Wisconsin, Georgetown, and others. He will head to Mizzou next season after an official visit there over the weekend.
Vinny Belcaster (Morton)
Belcaster is a tough shooting guard that is a plus perimeter sniper that moves well off the ball getting open for his shot. Belcaster tells PHI right now things are going kind of slow and that he is hearing from some JUCO’s although he expects to be a qualifier by the end of the year. He is in contact with Colby, Triton, and Moraine Valley. He will visit Triton and Moraine Valley in the next two weeks.
Jordan Morris (Proviso East)
Morris is a physical beast on the interior with his strength and athleticism. High energy athlete that can finish above the rim and rebound. His coach with Kessel Heat Brian Burns tells us that he will be going the JUCO route and the schools in the most contact right now are Kirkwood, Allen County, and Barton. Allen County and Barton are working on getting him in for a visit.
Carter Higginbottom (St. Ignatius)
Higginbottom is a tough lead guard from the Catholic League that is best getting others involved with his passing and finishing around the cup. He tells us that he recently received a preferred walk on opportunity at Wisconsin. He has not accepted the opportunity yet. Higginbottom has family connections to the Badgers program.
Jacob Hall (Alton Marquette)
Hall is a solid small college big man prospect with his athleticism and mobility inside. Impressed us during the summer. He says that right now the two main schools he is focusing on are William Penn and Columbia College. He is going to visit both programs in the next couple of weeks.
Jesus Vargas (Rockridge)
We liked what Vargas brought to the table coming off the bench for the Illinois Irish on the circuit. Shot blocking presence with some upside at the small college level. He is hearing from a wide variety of schools, but says the schools that he likes the most are Dubuque, Central College, Quincy, Midland, Black Hawk, and Cornell College. He has visited Cornell College, Lincoln Central, and Dubuque already. Went to Coe College his past Wednesday.
Brandon Simberg (Libertyville)
Simberg is a point guard that can really shoot the basketball off the catch. Would be an excellent addition to a small college programs as a team first guy that can shoot. He says right now he is talking to University of Chicago and IIT at the D3 level. Also a candidate to be a potential walk-on at a higher level.
Jalen Hughes (Hillcrest)
This Hillcrest point guard is a sleeper at the small college level. He is currently averaging 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game. He tells us that recruiting is going slow at this point and the only schools he has heard from are Ferris State and Benedictine.
Jack Ellison (Marist)
Ellison is an undersized four man with an angular build. Rebounds well on the interior fighting for position. Per one of his assistant coaches at Marist, Ellison will most likely go the JUCO route next season. He has spoken to both Morton College and Triton.
Corey Noe (Mahomet-Seymour)
Noe is a central Illinois scoring guard that has a smooth game. He lit it up when we saw him at Thanksgiving with his ability to score off the bounce and get to the rim. According to his travel team coach Gavin Sullivan with the Illinois Irish the schools pursuing him the hardest are North Central, Illinois Wesleyan, Augustana, and Olivet Nazarene. He would be a nice pick up for any of those programs!