Legion puts halt to bumpy ride

ST. LOUIS – Champaign-Urbana might not be the last stop on Alex Legion's wild ride. But if it's not, he certainly can see the last stop from the University of Illinois.

A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Detroit, the talented freshman has been known as much for his waffling heart as the smooth jump shot that made him one of the nation's top 50 recruits out of Virginia's Oak Hill Academy.

He committed to Michigan, then decommitted from Michigan. He signed a letter of intent with Michigan, then enrolled at Kentucky. He played seven games as a freshman at Kentucky this season, left Kentucky, and has informed coach Bruce Weber he will transfer to Illinois.

"I just don't think (Kentucky) was a good fit as far as how I play. They play a high-low offense," Legion said Saturday, explaining his decision to leave the Wildcats. "I thought Coach (Billy) Gillispie was a great coach. But certain styles aren't for every player.

"Coach Weber has the motion offense. I think that fits me. He's a players coach. He can relate to his players. When you make a mistake, he yells at you like every coach. But he lets you know what you're doing wrong. It's more like teaching than coaching."

Legion, who said he plans on arriving at the UI the first week of January, is expected to have about 2 1/2 years of eligibility remaining. He'll be eligible to play for the Illini about this time next year, when grades are posted at the close of the fall semester.

Legion averaged 6.7 points in about 17 minutes a game with the Wildcats. He played his high school ball at Detroit Country Day before going to basketball powerhouse Oak Hill for one year.

"I didn't think it would get this hectic. I already went to a college and then transferring, so that was tough. It was just as bad as if I was in high school as far as recruiting goes," said Legion, who chose Illinois over Notre Dame after visiting both schools last week. "I tried to narrow it down to a few schools. I liked both programs, and in the end it came down to relationships.

"Illinois had been recruiting me since the 10th grade. They were always in my top five," he said. "Before I committed to Michigan the first time, it came down to (Illinois), UCLA and Michigan."

The most prominent relationship was with Jerrance Howard, a staffer at Kentucky before he was hired as an Illinois assistant in mid-September.

"At Kentucky, our dorms are right across the street from the practice facility," Legion said. "Sometimes Jerrance would be at the office late, or I'd give him a call and we'd meet up, play one-on-one, get some shots up.

"We did everything together. My mom preached down there in Lexington. We (Howard and Legion) went to church. He wasn't just a coach to me. He's kind of like a teammate. He played for Coach Gillispie, he played for Coach Weber. Now that he's an assistant I don't think our relationship will change."

Already there has been enough change in Legion's basketball career. He wants a school to call home.

"The team's great. They're a bunch of guys I can get along with," he said. "They work hard. That's what I want to surround myself with."

Because Legion won't sign a letter of intent, the Illinois staff won't be able to comment about him until the paperwork is finished at the UI, similar to the process with freshman Jeff Jordan in May.

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