BUZZ WORTHY

It saddens me to report that Armon Gates, a one-time Whitney Young/Lincoln Park stand-out, has departed Northwestern. Armon, vastly recognized as one of the nation’s bright young Assistants will join Mike White’s staff at Florida as an Associate Head-Coach. Gates, spent five memorable seasons as a valuable Coach & Recruiter for Chris Collins Wildcat Program. Us locals will miss him and his always positive spirit. We are happy for Armon’s rise through the coaching ranks but I can’t say we’re surprised.

In a surprise move Fenwick Coach Rick Malnati has decided to step-down as the Coach at the Oak Park based Catholic School. In today’s climate of self-inflicted players & parents, who could blame him. Assistant Coach Staunton Peck will replace Malnati. Rick did an outstanding job of reviving that Program which started to sag before he got there.

University Illinois has created some steam recently, receiving commitments from highly touted Junior College point-guard Andres Feliz, a 6-foot 2 sophomore who registered 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per outing at Northwest Florida State College. Rutgers, SMU, and Wichita State sought his services. Also joining will be Tevian Jones, a 6-6 wing guard from Culver City, California; most observers in that area regard him as the 10th best prospect in the state and viewed as a top-notch talent. My sources in California say the Illini landed a gem in Jones. Arizona, San Diego, UNLV, and Cal lost out to Brad Underwood’s crew with him. Three-star center Samba Kane, East Coast shooting guard Alan Griffin, and power forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and Morgan Park’s slashing guard Ayo Dosunmu will round-out an impressive recruiting class.

Champaign native Michael Finke has opted to spend his post grad year playing for Dan Majerle at Grand Canyon Program, where he will join his brother- incoming freshmen Tim Finke. Mike entered University of Illinois as a promising recruit, but his tenure was plagued by injuries & unforeseeable off-the-court issues his team-mates endured. Nevertheless, Finke still carved out a pretty good career for Illini.

Scott Pera’s Rice University Program signed top available prospect, Drew Peterson. He was a huge get for Rice, the Libertyville forward had been viewed as one of the state’s best kept secrets in the 2018 Class. He will have a fine career competing in the Conference USA while performing for a terrific Head Coach.

Jay Spoonhour and his staff at Eastern Illinois signed 3A first team All-Stater Cam Burrell. The OVC Conference and their style of play fits the Morgan Park stand-out and his open-court talents. He will Flourish in Spoonhour’s system.

Rockford Lutheran’s six-foot four combo guard Kenny Strawbridge has inked on with UMKC.

Our state’s top player in the 2019 Class, E.J. Liddle, has been tearing up the Club circuit in recent weeks. The six-foot seven Belleville West stand-out has teamed with Normal West Center, Francis O’Koro (2) and East St. Louis athletic forward, Terrence Hargrove (4), forming a lethal trio with the St. Louis based Program Bradley Beal Elite. Liddle, has his recruitment narrowed down to Ohio State, Missouri, Illinois, and Florida.

Edwardsville native and former Mr. Illinois Basketball in 2017 Mark Smith has transferred to Missouri, after a less than impressive first year in Illini country, he will sit out next year for the Tigers.

We finally viewed hot-shot eighth grader, Amari Bailey, playing 16&17-U for the Mac Irvin Fire last weekend. The six-foot three Skinner Elementary guard looks awfully promising. He can shoot and he’s athletic with a really good understanding of how to play. Bailey could be the next elite prospect coming out of Chicago.

We have no qualms about young players expressing themselves, but in a manner where they’re respecting the game. Now, to be on the court posturing & trash talking, in addition to be engaged in pointless chatter with spectators during the course of a game resembles bush league behavior/antics. It’s labeled as taboo. And enough of that was on display at the Nike Foster Park Venue over the weekend where Mean Streets, Mac Irvin Fire, Team Rose, and the Y&R Program collaborated in a rarely featured local event. There was a lot of buzz behind this event.

Central Michigan landed Springfield native Larry Austin Jr. a rare feat for a grad-transfer to go from a high-major situation to a mid-major setting. Austin, spent his last 2 seasons at Vanderbilt. Remember his Collegiate career began at Tennessee with Cuonzo Martin. “Wasn’t this where he belonged from the start?” Kudos to CMU Assistant Coach, Kevin Gamble, also is a Springfield native.