Illinois'' three signees for the Class of 2003 earned high marks from their future coach, Bill Self. His take on his latest recruiting haul: Warren Carter Pos.: F Ht.: 6-9 Wt.: 210 Dallas (Lake Highlands) By the numbers: Averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots as a junior; ranked 73rd-best senior in the nation by The Insiders Hoops. Self evaluation: "He can run, he can jump, he can block shots, he can alter. He''s got a long way to go to be a complete player, but his upside is tremendous. He''s one of those guys, and every recruiting class has them, that people will say, ''Yeah, he''s going to be a good player,'' but when he becomes a good player two or three years from now, everybody will wonder, ''How in the world did you get him?'' " Richard McBride Pos.: G Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 200 Springfield (Lanphier) By the numbers: Averaged 18 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior, shooting 43 percent from three-point range; two-time News-Gazette All-State selection. Self evaluation: "I expect Richard to be one of the premier impact perimeter players in America. I think without question, he''s one of the most talented perimeter players, in my opinion. Not too many guys have his size, his strength, his explosiveness and his range on his shot. He was a guy Illinois had to sign since he was 14 years old, so this is a good get for us, obviously." Brian Randle Pos.: F Ht.: 6-8 Wt.: 190 Peoria (Notre Dame) By the numbers: Averaged 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks a game as a junior; two-time News-Gazette All-Stater. Self evaluation: "Up until last year, the summer before his junior year, a lot of people had him rated as one of the 10 or 20 best prospects in America. Then he played hurt all last year and he played hurt again this summer, and obviously when you''re not healthy, in some people''s eyes, your stock could fall a little bit. But he''s healthy now, and I expect him to have a bust-out year."
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