Law scouts top-level targets

For more on Saturday's event, read Tony Bleill's blog by clicking here

CHAMPAIGN – If you think the Illinois-Purdue final at the 2008 Big Ten women's basketball tournament was an epic battle, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Check out the recruiting trail.

It probably was appropriate that Illinois' Jolette Law and Purdue's Sharon Versyp sat in the front row, no more than a few feet apart, during Saturday's Blue Star Country Classic Showcase at Parkland College. Their main interest was in a Bolingbrook team loaded with high Division I prospects.

Bolingbrook, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A in Illinois and No. 15 nationally by USA Today, lost to Indianapolis Ben Davis, ranked 19th nationally by ESPN, 42-28. But for Law and Versyp, each flanked by an assistant coach, the evening was a chance to be seen. And each likely is eager to be seen as often as possible when the Raiders are playing.

Bolingbrook features 6-foot-2 center Morgan Tuck, Blue Star's fifth-ranked freshman in the country, and point guard Ariel Massengale, ranked 120th in the sophomore class.

Those two, along with 6-3 sophomore Marissa Taylor and 6-0 sophomore Taylor Tuck, Morgan's sister, have been offered scholarships by Law's Illini, according to Bolingbrook coach Tony Smith.

That's the preamble for what figures to be a dandy donnybrook on the recruiting front. Purdue has been a major player in the Chicago suburbs for several years, and its current roster includes Neuqua Valley's Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Bolingbrook's Samantha Woods.

Law's stated aim: Making sure the top kids stay in the state.

"She's definitely out there," Smith said. "When she's there, you know who she is because every place I go, like a clinic or something, I see her there. She's definitely working hard, putting in the time. That's what it takes, too. Hard work pays off, and it's paying off for her right now.

"She's brought in the No. 3 class already, and hopefully she can get a couple kids from us and be the No. 1 class one of these years."

While Versyp likely was there in part to show support for Ben Davis junior guard DeeDee Williams, who has committed to Purdue, she also got to see Tuck, considered the best prospect in a talent-rich program. Tuck scored 17 of her team's 28 points Saturday, showing good agility and strength in the low post.

Tuck was in Champaign last spring to play in the U.S. Junior Nationals tournament, then returned in August for Law's Elite Camp.

"I really like her as a coach," Tuck said. "She's in my top five colleges that I really like. When I came to camp, we talked to her and she was very welcoming, very nice, and she told us she wants Illinois kids to stay in Illinois."

They'll be back. Bolingbrook is among the teams that have committed to returning to next year's event, Blue Star's Chris Mennig said.

The showcase portion of the Country Classic – which on Saturday involved Bolingbrook, Ben Davis, Milwaukee's Rufus King and Indiana's Heritage Christian – will shift to the Saturday following Thanksgiving in 2009. The field will expand.

Bolingbrook, Heritage Christian, Chicago Von Steuben, Indianapolis Brebeuf, Mooresville (Ind.) and Milwaukee Pius XI are in for 2009. Incarnate Word of St. Louis will join in 2010 and 2011 and possibly next year.

"I'm really excited to see where this thing goes," Mennig said.

Saturday's session drew about 500 fans.

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