MU pulls out all the stopsMU pulls out all the stops
By Todd Rosiak
Sunday, Oct 14 2007, 12:58 AM
If Iman Shumpert didn't already know how much Tom Crean wants him at MU next season, the message must have come through loud and clear Saturday night.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior guard from Oak Park-River Forest (Ill.) High School, on campus for his official visit, got his first up-close-and-personal look at his favorite National Basketball Association player, Dwyane Wade, who made a surprise visit to 'Marquette Madness'.
"That was a big shock, man," Shumpert said. "Coach Crean's always got something crazy planned. Always."
Shumpert would know. Rated as high as 15th by Scout.com and among the top 25 players in the country by nearly every other recruiting service, Shumpert saw Crean open the fall recruiting period a few weeks back at the first possible moment - 12:01 a.m. - by hopping out of a stretch Hummer limousine and onto his doorstep.
As memorable as that must have been, Crean is undoubtedly hoping Wade's appearance will leave a final, indelible mark on the brain of a player that some feel could be the next big thing to come out of MU should he choose to cast his lot with the Golden Eagles.
Shumpert, who had made the trip up to MU for unofficial visits a few times previously, is expected to choose between MU, North Carolina and Georgia Tech sometime this coming week - possibly Thursday.
Based on what he had to say regarding his most recent stay in Milwaukee, Shumpert appeared to be impressed with what he'd seen.
"It's a real nice group of guys, a good mixture of guys. I feel like I can fit in real well with those guys," he said. "I felt like I fit in with a lot of the guys from Georgia Tech and North Carolina, and Marquette's another place I think I can fit in real well. It's just a good environment to be around."
When asked for what he was looking for in a school specifically, Shumpert didn't have an answer.
"Really, I couldn't even tell you what I'm looking for," he said. "With these three schools, I feel like I've got it down to three schools that I feel comfortable with on every level. So with going on these visits I was just hoping to get a gut feeling and hopefully be able to announce my decision next week like I planned."
One factor that might work to MU's advantage is its close proximity to Shumpert's home, and the fact that his parents, who have taken an active interest in his recruitment, would be able to watch him play on a regular basis.
"After this visit, it's starting to weigh in a little more," he said of the 90-mile or so drive to his home. "I'm starting to consider it a lot more than I was in the past."
When asked what position he'd prefer to play in college, Shumpert didn't hesitate.
"Point guard," he said. "I'll play some off-guard, but as far as being developed and playing the position I want to play, I want to play point guard."
Whatever he decides, Shumpert said he'd looking forward to a return to a somewhat normal life as a high-schooler once the process is finished.
"It's going to be a breath of fresh air to be able to just say where I'm going, like it or not," he said. "It'll just be good to not have everybody chasing you down, hounding you, asking where you're going to do. It'll just be, ‘Congratulations on your decision,' and be able to just play my high-school season without having to worry about it."
In fact, Shumpert pointed out that he hadn't spoken with a reporter since his visit to North Carolina in late September.
It was following that weekend that some comments attributed to Shumpert led to an inquiry into whether UNC had broken NCAA rules, which, not surprisingly, left a sour taste in Shumpert's mouth.
"This is actually the first interview I've done since the North Carolina thing because somebody just took my words and then took bits and pieces and made it seem like something else, and they blew it out of proportion," he said. "There were no violations. I didn't even feel like talking to them in the first place, so after that I just told myself I wasn't going to talk to any more media. It was actually good not to have people calling my phone. I just wouldn't pick it up."
Next week, Crean will be hoping Shumpert is singing a much different tune, and that the lengths to which he went to land him will pay off.
http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2007/10/14/mu-pulls-out-all-the-stops.aspx
