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It's about relationships, Legion says

Posted by: Paul Klee

Saturday, December 22, 2007 11:17 AM

Late one night last summer, during one of their frequent visits to the Kentucky practice facility, Jerrance Howard trumped Alex Legion in a game of one-on-one.

"He got me one time. He never let me live that down," Legion said after deciding he will enroll at Illinois. "He managed to sneak one in. He still talks about that. He actually said something about it on the recruiting trip (last week)."

Legion said he expects the one-on-one games will continue at Illinois. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who averaged 6.7 points in six games at Kentucky, said he plans on arriving in C-U around the first week of January.

His decision to transfer to Illinois, he said, was "based on relationships." The most prominent of those was with Howard, the former UK staffer hired as a UI assistant in mid-September.

"At Kentucky our dorms are right across the street from the practice facility," Legion said. "Sometimes Jerrance would be at the office late, or I'd give him a call and we'd meet up, play one-on-one, get some shots up.

"We did everything together. My mom preached down there in Lexington. We (Howard and Legion) went to church. He wasn't just a coach to me. He's kind of like a teammate. He played for coach (Billy) Gillispie, he played for coach Weber. Now that he's an assistant I don't think our relationship will change."

Legion also had a relationship with Bruce Weber, who adds a talented scorer to a 2008-09 backcourt expected to be fronted by Legion, Jamar Smith, Chester Frazier, Demetri McCamey and Trent Meacham.

"Illinois had been recruiting me since the 10th grade. They were always in my top five," said Legion, who added that several schools got involved over the last few weeks but he chose Illinois over Notre Dame. "Before I committed to Michigan the first time, it came down to them (Illinois), UCLA and Michigan."

If you include Legion that makes five prospects who have committed to Illinois in the past 2/1 months. He's expected to be eligible about this time next season, when fall semester grades are posted, and have about 2 1/2 seasons of eligibility remaining.

Asked why he left Kentucky, Legion described the decision as needing "a fresh start."

"I just don't think it was a good fit as far as how I play. They play a high-low offense," he said. "I thought coach Gillispie was a great coach. But certain styles aren't for every player. Coach Weber has the motion offense. I think that fits me. He's a players coach. He can relate to his players. When you make a mistake, he yells at you like every coach. But he lets you know what you're doing wrong. It's more like teaching than coaching."

Since he won't sign a letter of intent, the Illinois staff won't be able to comment on Legion until the paperwork is finished at the UI, similar to the process with freshman Jeff Jordan back in May.

-More on Legion's decision and coverage of the Braggin' Rights game here in St. Louis in Sunday's N-G.

Klee
pklee@news-gazette.com