The Chicago area has not historically been a fertile recruiting territory for the Notre Dame basketball program.
But when Loyola Academy guard Colin Falls signed a letter of intent with the Irish on Wednesday, he became the second Chicago-area player to pick Notre Dame in two years. Current Irish freshman Rick Cornett is from Homewood Christian.
“That has given us a presence again in Chicago,” Irish coach Mike Brey said. “It’s an endorsement for us to sign Cornett and Falls.”
As a junior, the 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound Falls averaged 24 points, 5.5 rebounds and four assists. A strong outside shooter who has started three years at Loyola, Falls has 1,400 career points heading into his senior season.
Notre Dame also signed forward Omari Isreal, a 6-8, 210-pounder from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md. Isreal averaged 18.5 points and three blocked shots as a junior.
The Irish still have two scholarships available, but Brey said he won’t use them unless a late prospect crops up this spring.
DePaul
The school did not announce letters of intent but was expecting signatures from a group that will give it a top-25 recruiting class. In his first season, Blue Demons coach Dave Leitao has received five oral commitments, four from players ranked among the nation’s top 100 by at least one recruiting service.
Lorenzo Thompson, a 6-7 forward from Crane, is among that quartet, although he has said he won’t sign until he qualifies academically. The others are Sammy Mejia, a 6-6 guard from Cornwall on Hudson (N.Y.) Storm King High; Tyler Smith, a 6-2 guard from Colora, Md.; and Wesley Green, a 6-9 center/forward from Eustis (Fla.) High School.
The Blue Demons are also expected to sign 6-6 forward Marcus Heard out of Springfield.
Northwestern
Northwestern did not announce a signing but expects a signature from Vince Scott, a 6-10 center from Phoenix. As a junior he averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds for Greenway High School.
Loyola
Loyola reached north of the border to sign 6-5 Majak Kou, from Cathedral High in Hamilton, Ontario.
The swing man is a native of Sudan.
Kou, a member of Canada’s 18-and-under national team, averaged 22.6 points and 11.3 rebounds during his junior season.
Northern Illinois
Second-year coach Rob Judson signed two guards: Naperville Central’s 6-2 Ryan Paradise, who averaged 19.2 points as a junior, and 6-3 Michael McKinney from Evanston.
Where top 10 are going
Top local boys signees
PLAYER, SCHOOL HT. POS. COLLEGE
Shannon Brown, Proviso East 6-3 G Michigan State
Dwayne Curtis, Young 6-8 C Auburn
Colin Falls, Loyola 6-4 G Notre Dame
Andre Knox, Young 6-2 G Loyola
Dameon Mason, West Aurora 6-5 F Marquette
Jimmie Miles, Rich Central 6-2 G Valparaiso
Jason Okrzesik, Fenwick 6-1 G Rice
Charles Richardson, Proviso East 5-9 G Nebraska
Andre White, Zion-Benton 5-11 G Wis.-Milwaukee
Jerrah Young, St. Rita 6-7 F West Virginia
Compiled by Marlen Garcia.
Top local girls signees
PLAYER, SCHOOL HT. POS. COLLEGE
Nadia Bibbs, Hillcrest 5-9 G Boston University
Jen Brown, Rolling Meadows 5-8 G Bradley
Chloe Kerr, Bolingbrook 6-3 C Southern Cal
Erin Lawless, Fenwick 6-2 F Purdue
Missy Mitidiero, Marian Catholic 5-6 G Illinois
Ashley Owens, Trinity 6-0 F Western Michigan
Amy Peters, Warren 6-2 C Bradley
Melanie Ploger, Hinsdale Central 5-6 G Eastern Illinois
Christina Quaye, Regina 6-0 F Marquette
Jenna Rubino, Lincoln-Way East 6-0 F DePaul
Compiled by Alan Sutton.
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