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Randle to play vs. Ohio State; Paul in attendance

Posted by: Paul Klee

Thursday, January 3, 2008 6:21 PM

Illinois senior Brian Randle, who left Sunday's game after sustaining a mild concussion, will play tonight against Ohio State at the Assembly Hall. Randle was considered doubtful leading up to the game. He may not start, but he's expected to get minutes, which should be a boost for Illinois.

- Among those in attendance tonight will be UI recruit Brandon Paul. His mother, Lynda Paul, said this afternoon they are making the trek from Gurnee for the Big Ten opener.

- You might recall Brandon Paul went head-to-head with Oak Park-River Forest senior Iman Shumpert in the Pontiac holiday tournament last week. Paul finished with 36 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals to help Warren to a win. Shumpert had a huge game, too, with 34 points.

Just talked to Iman Shumpert about the matchup a few minutes ago. Shumpert, an outstanding player who's headed to Georgia Tech, said he entered the contest with limited knowledge of Paul's abilities. He left the game with a favorable impression.

"I'll be honest with you, I had no idea who he was before the game. It surprised me a lot, how he played," Shumpert said. "I had no clue he was that good. I had no clue he was going to Illinois. Midway through the game, the crowd was going crazy. That's when I got an idea he was being recruited by Illinois, or he was going to Illinois."

- We'll have a lengthy profile of Brandon Paul in Sunday's News-Gazette. Great kid with an interesting story behind his rise.

Paul
pklee@news-gazette.com