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Luther left it up to Crandall

Posted by: Paul Klee

Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:13 AM

The influential voices came from several directions, just not from the brother Crandall Head was watching on NBA League Pass Friday night.

There were the Illinois coaches, who, as you know, have recruited the Rich South sophomore for some time. Bruce Weber observed one of Head's games in the Big Dipper holiday tournament just last week. Then there was the friendly peer pressure from prep standouts Jereme Richmond and D.J. Richardson, a pair of Illinois commitments who have nudged Head to eventually join them in C-U. Richmond called Head as recently as Thursday.

"We text a lot. We talk a lot," Crandall Head said on Friday night. "He (Richmond) and D.J. are always asking me what I'm waiting for to come to Illinois."

But of all the people you might expect would push Crandall to wear an Illinois uniform, Luther left it up to Crandall. The Houston Rockets guard said in the fall he would allow Crandall to choose his own path, and Crandall said that hasn't changed.

"He (Luther) always told me it was my decision," Crandall said Friday night as he watched Luther and the Rockets play the Orlando Magic. The family has NBA League Pass to catch all of his games.

Crandall said he's going to announce his commitment to Illinois at the Assembly Hall on Sunday afternoon. The Illini host Penn State at 1 p.m.

Still, Luther's relationship with Weber and the UI staff played a considerable role in securing the early commitment. Luther gives much of the credit for his rise to the NBA to Weber and the staff. Luther was close enough to assistant coach Jerrance Howard that he was in Howard's wedding in August, and Crandall was supposed to attend the wedding but had a basketball engagement.

Head, a 2010 prospect, will join UI commitments Richmond (2010), Joseph Bertrand (2009), Brandon Paul (2009) and Richardson (2009) in what would be a pair of promising recruiting classes for the Illini.

"It's going be fun playing with them," Crandall said.

That makes eight players and prospects who are not eligible on the current roster but are expected to join the Illini at some point over the next 34 months: Alex Legion (eligible after the fall semester, 2008), Jamar Smith (expected to rejoin the team next season), Stan Simpson (class of 2008 recruit), Bertrand (2009), Paul (2009), Richardson (2009), Richmond (2010) and Head (2010). The depth of talented perimeter players in that bunch is startling.

- The Crandall Head commitment, as well as an update on Alex Legion's status, was in today's News-Gazette. Go here for more: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/

Paul
pklee@news-gazette.com