Oregon State transfer Ahmad Starks committed to the Illini and John Groce on the Tuesday night following Memorial Day. Starks is a native Chicagoan (Whitney Young H.S.) coming home to the state school. He applied for eligibility this season with a NCAA waiver.
It was announced hours ago that he was denied.
Therefore, he must sit out the season. Starks left OSU to be closer to his ailing grandmother in Chicago.
Ahmad Starks averaged 10.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals as a junior this past season, while also shooting 39% from beyond the arc. However, he does have some Demetri McCamey in him. By that I mean he’s a ball hog with poor shot selection. But he could give the Illini some much needed depth at the one behind Tracy Abrams. He’ll just have to wait until 2014-15 to do it.
It will be former Simeon Wolverines floor general Jaylon Tate taking over at PG2 this year. It’ll be a crowded point guard situation in ’14-15 with top 40 recruit Quentin Snider, Abrams, Starks and Abrams.
Starks is the 4th Illini transfer to commit since the end of the season. Illinois State junior forward Jon Ekey, Seton Hall sophomore guard Aaron Cosby and Western Michigan freshman forward Darius Paul (little brother of Brandon Paul) also recently opted to transfer to the Illini program.
So the Illini will have more turnover than a bakery. Lots of guys leaving, but a lot of new Illini coming in as well.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
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