In a way, Dan Filippone is a full-time basketball player.
The 2019 Antioch graduate is spending the majority of his hours each day working to get into better shape and improve his skills in hopes of landing a Division I scholarship.
Filippone placed his name in the transfer portal midway through his second season at Northern Illinois. The redshirt freshman guard said he already has been in touch with several programs since late January.
Filippone said he works out “three to four” times a day, over almost eight hours, at a multiplex just across the border in Wisconsin.
“Basically, I try every day to get up at 5:30 a.m., get to the (gym) and do plyometrics, mobility and conditioning,” he said. “I go to the gym and also get shots up. My midday workout is full scale, with ballhandling and defense.”
He said he wants to showcase his shooting, scoring and distribution abilities to colleges with a highlight-reel tape from his college games and practices. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Filippone was an elite scorer in high school, averaging 25.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in his senior season at Antioch.
“I know I can score at all three levels and run a team,” he said. “I want to be the most skilled player because I know I can’t be the most athletic. I have to be the most skilled, smartest and have that dog mentality.”
Filippone did not see action in his first year at NIU but played a total of 13 minutes in four games this season. Coach Mark Montgomery was fired Jan. 3 after the Huskies started 1-7.
“At first, NIU made sense because it was close to home and I liked the staff,” he said. “It was one of the best situations for me. My first year was really great. I learned a lot from Eugene German.
“He kind of took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, which I’m really grateful for. Things just didn’t work out for me, with COVID-19 hitting the team and the head coach being fired.”
Filippone said he understands his recruitment might take some time because colleges face roster issues. The NCAA has granted an additional season of eligibility to student-athletes in winter sports.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said. “So far, I’ve received calls from several Division I schools. I plan on keeping in touch. Timetable-wise, I’m looking at maybe toward the end of March.
“I’m willing to wait for the right opportunity, especially with this whole opt-out thing. I’ll have four more years, which is basically starting at scratch. I already got two years under my belt. I’m definitely willing to be patient.”
Fisher nets offers: Libertyville guard Emily Fisher is a rising recruit in the class of 2023.
After playing a key role in the Wildcats’ run to a Class 4A sectional semifinal last season, Fisher raised her profile with a strong showing during the AAU season. She has offers from DePaul, Drake, Iowa State, Milwaukee, Nebraska, North Carolina State and Saint Louis.
“I’m talking to a lot of coaches, and I’ve made visits to North Carolina to visit Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State,” Fisher said. “It was beautiful, and I’ll probably do more once the weather gets better.”
New Trier coach Teri Rodgers, a 1987 Libertyville graduate, played point guard for Duke and coached McDonald’s All-American Jeannie Boehm. Rodgers said she was impressed with Fisher in New Trier’s loss to the Wildcats on Monday.
“When she plays hard, she’s really difficult to stop,” Rodgers said. “As she matures and learns the game more and more, she’s an unbelievable talent. She’s hard to guard. She’s really strong and a difficult matchup.
“I think the sky is the limit for her in terms of work ethic and playing every possession. If she does that and continues to develop, I think the sky is the limit for her.”
Wolverinas AAU director Chris Kipley said there’s a “significant number of teams that are recruiting Emily.”
“Emily has become increasingly consistent from 3-point range,” Kipley said. “She has to continue to get stronger, which was already an enormous advantage for her. Now it’s becoming an even bigger advantage.”
Jones moving on: Former Warren wide receiver Micah Jones placed his name in the transfer portal on Feb. 8. The 6-4, 219-pounder did not catch a pass in three seasons at Notre Dame but will have three years of eligibility left.
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
