When Porter Moser and Bryan Mullins were recruiting together at Loyola Chicago, they were a force. (See: Clayton Custer, Marques Townes, Aundre Jackson, Cameron Krutwig, Lucas Williamson, Cooper Kaifes, Marquise Kennedy…)
Now, they’re up against each other — and the Illinois recruiting arms race has begun.
Salukis Fill All Three Spots
Mullins, who’s getting set for his second season as head coach at Southern Illinois, has picked up three big commitments from the Class of 2021: versatile swingman Troy D’Amico, high-scoring guard Foster Wonders and big man Scottie Ebube. D’Amico and Ebube both come from the Chicago suburbs — D’Amico from Niles and Ebube from Mundelein.
D’Amico was seen as one of the top mid-major recruits in the state while Wonders is a prolific scorer and Ebube is a force down low. All three should fit in well and be instant-impact for the Salukis in 2021-22.
The Salukis opened eyes last year in Mullins’ first season, going 16-16 overall and 10-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play. I voted for Mullins as MVC Coach of the Year, an award that later went to Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson.
But a key player in that run was Marcus Domask, who went on to be the MVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year — and Mullins’ first home-run recruit. It looks like Domask could be the first of many success stories in Carbondale if these three recruits pan out.
The Salukis don’t have any more scholarships to give to the Class of ‘21, but that doesn’t mean more spots can’t open down the road.
Ramblers Rolling — With Room to Spare
Moser picked up two big commitments this week from Ben Schwieger and Ty Johnson, who announced his commitment today. Both players are local — Schwieger’s from Aurora and Johnson’s from Chicago, which reaffirms Moser’s commitment to recruiting in the Chicago area.
happy birthday to me & staying home📍#respectmydecision @DePaulPrepMBB pic.twitter.com/kAIdrvaEMk
— 2️⃣ (@iamty_2) July 23, 2020
As I’ve written before, Schwieger is a prototypical Porter Moser player. Johnson would fit in well as an electric combo guard who could benefit from playing alongside Marquise Kennedy, the reigning MVC Sixth Man of the Year.
Considering the Ramblers are getting set to lose all five players from last year’s starting lineup, Schwieger and Johnson could step into big roles for the Ramblers in 21-22.
They won’t have to shoulder the load, though, as highly regarded Indiana transfer Damezi Anderson and center Jacob Hutson will become eligible after this season. It’ll also be interesting to see what Moser does with the last two scholarships he can give to the Class of 2021.
There’s still a lot of recruiting left to do this summer, but one thing’s clear right now: Southern Illinois and Loyola Chicago are leading the charge so far — and it’s not close.
Nick,
Thanks for all your coverage of Ramblers basketball.
Nick,
Thanks for all your coverage of Ramblers basketball.