Article W/ Quotes on Iman Shumpert Madness Visit

[Daniel Poneman]

Go to Illinoishsbasketball.com. First article on the front page.

[Sir Lawrence]

Here's the text of the article:

The state of Illinois' #1 ranked player, Iman Shumpert, enjoyed taking in Midnight Madness at Marquette last night and Coach Crean and the Golden Eagle faithful didn't fail to impress the 6-4 guard.



Last night's visit was the third and final official visit for the versatile combo guard, as he has already been to the campuses of Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Here's what Shumpert had to say while at Marquette:



"I'm at Marquette Madness! Madness is great; it is crazy, signs of me are getting thrown up everywhere. There are students everywhere and they just started chanting my name and stuff. Dwayne Wade is here and he's laughing about the chants and signs for me!"



Shumpert will suit up for Oak Park River Forest high school this year with hopes of winning a state title. OPRF features one of the top backcourts in the state, as Shumpert will team up with Eastern Michigan commit Daniel Barnes for Coach Al Allen. They will kick off the season in the Lane Tech Thanksgiving tournament, one of the most competitive tournaments in the state this year.



Iman saw his stock soar this spring and summer as he dominated the national AAU circuit with Full Package. Shumpert had excellent showings at various events including the Las Vegas Easter Classic, the King James Classic, and the Lebron Skills academy. Shumpert played for Full Package alongside various other division 1 prospects including Stan Simpson, Paris Carter, Supo Sanni, and junior Tyler Ponticelli.



Throughout the spring and summer dozens of high major schools from coast to coast tried to get involved with Shumpert's recruitment, but the majority of the schools that made his final 7 had been involved with him since before the spring. Now Shumpert is almost ready to end the recruiting process, as he has set a timetable for his decision. "I'm deciding next Thursday where I will be going to college," said Iman.



For the latest on Iman Shumpert keep it with IllinoisHSbasketball.com

[rocky_warrior]

Thanks for the heads up - here's the direct link:

http://www1.freewebs.com/chipatsj23h/shumpertmarquette.htm

[muhoosier260]

sounds like very promising news. i like this kid, he doesn't beat around the bush, instead of having everyone hound him about his decision, he says when he will make the decision. seems very mature.

[LastWarrior]

Does anyone know who started recruiting Iman first... MU or GT?  Also, who offered first?

[Dish]

After visiting the Carolina Rivals board, I think it's down to us and Ga. Tech.

I think the kid is coming to Marquette.

[LastWarrior]

BTW... props to the students and the fans that were at the game with the Iman signs and chants.  Whether he comes to MU or not, i'm sure he was impressed!

[Avenue Commons]

After visiting the Carolina Rivals board, I think it's down to us and Ga. Tech.

I think the kid is coming to Marquette.

I think so, too. We have the advantage of proximity so his family can come watch him play his home games, and he'll have the DePaul and Notre Dame games within easy driving distance as well. Add the TV schedule and the Big East into the mix and we have a lot to offer him. Hope we get some good news on Thursday.

[Daniel Poneman]

When Iman was texting me while at Madness he sounded very very happy there... He also told me some stuff i didnt include in the article about how D-wade was smiling at him, and treating him like a celebrity!
I think UNC is still in the picture, though people are skeptical of it because of the alleged violations that went on during his official there.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

When Iman was texting me while at Madness he sounded very very happy there... He also told me some stuff i didnt include in the article about how D-wade was talking to him, and treating him like a celebrity!

yet some alleged fans think that we should keep DWade hidden from public view while recruiting...cough..murf..cough.   

[mufan924]

im really hoping thursday is IS2MU Day...i feel like it all makes sense for him to come

[Dish]

When Iman was texting me while at Madness he sounded very very happy there... He also told me some stuff i didnt include in the article about how D-wade was smiling at him, and treating him like a celebrity!
I think UNC is still in the picture, though people are skeptical of it because of the alleged violations that went on during his official there.

Hmm, I couldn't help but notice an edit in here. Did you change "D-Wade was talking to him" to "D-Wade was smiling at him"? If Wade was talking to him, I would imagine the NCAA would be knocking on Tom Crean's door shortly.

[Daniel Poneman]

I wrote talk origionally, then re-read the text and the quote was "smiling." I dont wanna be the one to get MArquette involved in recruiting violations that didnt happen!

[Dish]

No worries, just wanted to make sure.

[augoman]

great news!  so glad they included him (unlike FBE) and that he felt special.  should give us a 'leg up'. 


(fingers crossed til Thursday)

[muwarrior87]

that would be me and gwaki who started the 'we want shumpert' chant, tried to get it spread around, glad he heard it.

[MU10]

I was holding the "IMAN" sign and the "next three amigos...Nick Williams (check), Iman Shumpert, and Jared Swopshire" sign and we were sitting one section away from Shumpert and his family so he looked over and saw the signs several times and smiled, his parents both took pictures of our signs, and Crean gave us a thumbs up.

[mwbauer7]

I was holding the "IMAN" sign and the "next three amigos...Nick Williams (check), Iman Shumpert, and Jared Swopshire" sign and we were sitting one section away from Shumpert and his family so he looked over and saw the signs several times and smiled, his parents both took pictures of our signs, and Crean gave us a thumbs up.

Nicely done! Can't wait until thursday...

[tomcrean4pres]

I can't wait for thursday... Im still trying not to get my hopes up but I can't help but feel good about this

[4everwarriors]

with the "I Love Tom Crean" sign.

[MUBasketball]

that would be me and gwaki who started the 'we want shumpert' chant, tried to get it spread around, glad he heard it.

I heard that...I was opposite corner of the Al and sprung to my feet. The chant quickly died, I was ready to start on my end. Was it as short as I remember, or did I just not notice most of it??

[muwarrior87]

with the "I Love Tom Crean" sign.

b.s.


and MUBasketball...you probably heard most of it but we tried to get it going for a while. didn't last that long though.

[LastWarrior]

Daniel... thanks for the info!  I enjoyed your site.  What are your thoughts on Marquette getting involved with Aziz N'Daye?  Do we have any shot at him and would he have any interested in MU?  Seems like he would be a great fit at MU but does he look like a project player or is he ready to contribute on the high D-1 level?

http://www.illinoishsbasketball.com/

Week 4 MVP/ Eastern Conference MVP- 7-1 senior C Aziz N'Daye (Lake Forest Academy) - Heat- Aziz has only been in the US for about a month, but there is already people talking about him from all over the country. One of the most hyped big men to come to the states in years; this was his first opportunity since he came to America to prove that it wasn't all talk and that he was as good as advertised. Aziz lived up to his reputation as he thoroughly dominated the Spurs, leading his Heat to an 80-53 win. Aziz only played half of the game (about 20 minutes) but still managed to rake in 16 points 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Aziz was nothing short of dominant on both ends of the floor, as he had opposing players scared to take the ball into the paint in fear of getting their shot blocked into the stands, and was dunking with authority in the post and on fast breaks. The 7-1 center's wingspan looks to be about 7-9 and his hands are very big, making him a shot-blocking presence. On offense he was grabbing every offensive board and put-back dunk in sight, and was good but unpolished in the post. Colleges from coast to coast are after this Senegalese phenom, but no official college list has been released by him or his coaches. Illinoishsbasketball.com will be the first to get his college info out.

Also, a very nice update on Iman...

Week 4 Top Playmaker- 6-4 senior G Iman Shumpert (Oak Park River Forest) – Kings- In Iman Shumpert (proved why he is considered the top guard in the state of Illinois and one of the top players in the nation on Sunday. Shumpert decided to take less of a scorer's role and get his teammates involved, in hopes of leading his Kings to victory over the mighty Timberwolves. Shumpert finished the game with 13 points 12 assists and 3 blocks. Shumpert missed very few shots and showed his superb athletic ability on the defensive end by blocking and altering shots. Iman also showed everyone in attendance why he has improved so much over the last year, as he was visibly putting everything he had out on the floor. Shumpert visited Marquette on Saturday night for Midnight Madness, and has narrowed his list of schools to Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Marquette.

Thanks and it's great having an expert around on the board!

[Daniel Poneman]

I dont know if Marquette is interested in Aziz as of now, as he has not yet released a list of schools. I talk to his coaches constantly about the other players at Lake Forest Academy, but they will not talk about Aziz. All i know about him is what i have seen.

He is ready to step in right now and be a contributor in the Big East. Give him a few years and he will be a star- a lot like a slightly shorter Thabeet with better offensive skills. I know DePaul is very hard on him, as well as Kentucky, but i know about both of those schools interest from sources in thier programs, not from Aziz's camp.

[StillWarriors]

What was that about FBE not feeling included by MU? I hadn't heard that.

Illinois is a perfect example of how getting a big time recruit like Shumpert can have a snowball effect.  The Illini signed several guys in a short time after getting their first commitment in a while from a decent prospect (even though not as highly regarded as Shumpert). It would also be perfect timing with McNeal, Matthews and James leaving after next year; if not earlier for James.

Judging by the talent G'town, Louisville and Syracuse are bringing in, TC is going to have to land some of these big time guys to stay in the upper echelon of the Big East. I'm sure it is a lot easier to try to maintain things at a high level than have to try to convince top prospects to rebuild. Shumpert would sure help achieve that.