The Illinois Wolves basketball club is broken up into four different age categories.

Players are separated onto a 14-and-under team, 15-and-under team, 16-and-under team and 17-and-under team.

Jordan Ash, Glynn Watson, Prentiss Nixon and Roosevelt Smart saw action on three of the four teams this summer for the Wolves. The quartet all saw playing time on the 15U, 16U and 17U teams, and all four also visited Illinois this summer, according to Wolves director Mike Mullins.

"That group was in the championship game of everything they played in," Mullins said, "and won a majority of them."

Ash, a 6-foot-2-inch combo guard, and Watson, a 5-10 point guard, are teammates during the prep basketball season at vaunted St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Ill.

Purdue and DePaul have extended offers to Ash, with Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan, Xavier, Ohio State, Marquette, Louisville and Arizona interested in the versatile guard's talents.

"Jordan Ash is someone who got his first scholarship offer in eighth grade," Mullins said. "Physically, he's a very dominant left-hander, which is a tremendous advantage. He really knocked down shots in the spring and has got great charisma and leadership."

Watson, the younger brother of former Illinois guard Demetri McCamey, follows in his big brother's footsteps as a point guard.

"He is a pure point guard," Mullins said. "He does a unbelievable job of running a team. He had a phenomenal July."

Nixon, a 6-0 combo guard from Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School also made his mark felt on the court this summer.

"Nixon is probably the quickest and fastest," Mullins said. "He's a tremendous long-range shooter. He's got NBA range, and he's very athletic."

Smart is the tallest and most sturdiest of the four at 6-3. He's a solid shooting guard who attends Palatine (Ill.) High School.

"He really has an advanced scoring game," Mullins said. "He's got a great mid-range game and really attacks the rim with a deep 3-point range."

Mullins said new Illinois head coach John Groce has "hit the ground running" in his first five months on the job. Former Wolves Nnanna Egwu, Joseph Bertrand and Tracy Abrams are expected to make significant contributions for Illinois this winter.

"He's made himself available, him and his staff," Mullins said. "They've had a lot to do since he's taken the job. I haven't had a chance to see them practice or play yet, but ... I'm looking forward to getting down there in the fall and seeing them practice. Our players that came from our program are excited to play for him."