Signing Day: Last-minute disappointment for Illinois

The Illinois fanbase has been through this before, but that won’t make it any easier. Tuesday afternoon it appeared that Signing Day would be a massive victory for John Groce and his staff. Then everything changed.

The Illini had secured a commitment from the state’s top player, East St. Louis big man Jeremiah Tilmon. They had a commitment from Peoria Manual’s Da’Monte Williams, the talented son of former star Frank Williams. Point guard Trent Frazier, a top 100 player from Florida, and high-scoring Belleville East guard Javon Pickett were also in the fold. Nearly every recruiting service had Illinois with a top ten class in the country.

But things turned on Tuesday night when East St. Louis’ athletic director announced that Tilmon was not signing on Wednesday. Tilmon now says he isn’t signing until after the basketball season. Tilmon hasn’t said he’s decommitting, but deciding to publicly snub Groce and the Illini on such a high-profile day isn’t a good sign for Illinois.

So why didn’t Tilmon sign? He isn’t saying. One theory is that he’s worried about Groce’s job security. There has also been speculation that Tilmon could join fellow Metro East star Jordan Goodwin at St. Louis University. The two players are good friends and play club ball together. Travis Ford, the Billikens’ new coach, has been luring top talent from around the St. Louis area. The Illini were the first major school in on Goodwin, the state’s No. 2 ranked player. He seemed Champaign-bound until Ford swooped in and changed things.

That may be happening again. There is no telling when Tilmon will announce his intentions. The saga could drag on until April or end tomorrow. Illinois fans will have to wait and wonder.

Frazier is still a major get for Groce. Williams, a legacy recruit, is a player Groce had to have. Opinion is split on Pickett, but there is no doubt he’s a dynamic scorer at the high school level. It’s a respectable class for the Illini even without Tilmon, but likely not one that will turn the tide in Champaign.

JUST TWO HIGH-MAJORS

A few years ago ESPN swooped in to Chicago with two camera crews to televise Signing Day decisions at Young and Curie. Two years ago at Simeon, three players signed with Big Ten schools. In an average year there are high-major recruits signing all around the city and suburbs.

That was not the case on Wednesday. Eighteen local players signed letters of intent with Division I schools. That’s down from the usual 25-30. But the truly shocking thing is that only two players signed with high-major schools, Stevenson’s Justin Smith and Bolingbrook’s Nana Akenten.

Smith, a 6-7 forward, signed at a ceremony after school, surrounded by classmates, coaches, family and teammates. He was one of seven athletes from various sports signing at Stevenson.

“It means everything,” Smith said. “All the hard work, all the early mornings. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I watched Jalen [Brunson] do it. I’m really excited to have it finalized and focus on the season. It feels good to have everyone here with me.”

Evanston’s Nojel Eastern is a high-major talent, he just hasn’t made a college decision yet. He’s considering Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Seton Hall and DePaul. It’s possible that a handful of other players could open some eyes during the season, but this will be remembered as the Signing Day that saw the Metro East steal Chicago’s thunder. The St. Louis suburbs had the top talent and the juicy last-minute drama.