It's a bumper crop of Lake County talent
To get ideas and inspiration for the upcoming season, Libertyville boys basketball coach Scott Bogumil and his assistants hit the road each fall.
They'll visit a college campus and make arrangements with the men's basketball coaches to sit in on some practices.
A few weeks ago, they went to Purdue, where one of the assistants there, Rick Ray, is a personal friend.
"After practice, Rick came over and we started talking about the basketball in our area," Bogumil said. "Rick was saying that it's almost unheard of what's going on in Lake County right now.
"He was like, 'Yeah, your area up there is like a developmental league for the Big Ten.'"
Yep, suddenly Lake County is a hotbed that major Division I men's basketball coaches can no longer afford to gloss over.
By my count, there are currently six Lake County high school players out there who have either signed or verbally committed to Division I basketball programs - most of which are of the high-end variety.
In fact, four of the players are making the Big Ten their destination, which plays into Coach Ray's point.
Brandon Paul of Warren signed with Illinois recently while Waukegan junior Jereme Richmond has made a verbal commitment to the Illini.
Lake Forest guard Matt Vogrich signed on the dotted line with Michigan this fall and Zion-Benton guard Lenzelle Smith, the highest-ranking junior in the state of Illinois by some scouting services, has already committed to Ohio State.
Meanwhile, Waukegan's Colin Nickerson, has verbally committed to Fairfield while Zion-Benton center Markus Yarbrough gave a verbal to Tennessee State.
And those are just the players who have made things somewhat official so far.
There are other players out there - like Mundelein's Ben Brust - who are just as likely to be swept up in the high-end Division I hoopla before all is said and done. Brust, a junior, is reportedly drawing interest from major players like Notre Dame and Stanford.
So what in the name of Division III coaches everywhere is going on here in Lake County? I've been on this beat for nearly 12 years and I've never seen anything like this.
I've covered many great players who ultimately go the Division III route. I've seen plenty of Division II players, too.
And every once in awhile, I've seen a player land a scholarship with a low- to mid-major Division I program.
But major Division I talent here in Lake County? Um, not so much.
The last major Division I kid in these parts? Let's think here.
If I'm not mistaken, there have been only two in the last 10 years: Lake Forest forward Tyler Smith, who played at Penn State through the 2002 season, and the county's all-time leading scorer, Ryan Hogan.
Hogan, a guard from Deerfield, signed with Kentucky but transferred to Iowa in 1999 after two seasons.
That's it. I challenge someone to name anyone else.
So to have the numbers we have now, in one year-it's sheer craziness.
The $64,000 question is: Is this an anomaly or is it a commentary on where Lake County basketball really is-and where it's headed?
"I've never seen anything like this. I think it's probably a bumper crop, a very special time. I don't think we'll see this again next year," said Warren coach Chuck Ramsey, who is in his 16th season with the Blue Devils. "But I guess you just don't know. I also think that Lake County is getting a lot better in basketball. We've always had some good teams, but now there are more, and more elite players.
"The schools here are growing a lot and kids are playing more and more basketball up here. I think all that factors into it."
Lake County-based AAU teams, such as Rising Stars, Full Package, Team NLP and Kessel Heat, are newer entries on the local sports landscape but have quickly and dramatically transformed the talent pool here.
And that upward trend - at least this year - translates into a brutal schedule for everyone in the county. No nights off this season.
"You can't show me another (county) in the state that is this stacked," Mundelein coach Dick Knar said. "It's good and bad. You could be a really good team this year, but struggle because there's just so much other talent out there. But I wouldn't change it. I love the competition and I love playing against the best.
"It's going to be a fun year in Lake County. Really fun."
Brandon Paul, Warren
Year: Senior Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-3 College: Illinois (signed)
The 411: Paul is a special talent with impressive physical skills who can do it all - shoot the three, drive to the basket and dunk with authority.
In fact, some of his amazing dunks have even been posted on the Internet.
"He is so athletic," said Warren coach Chuck Ramsey, who got 20 points per game from Paul last year. "When he's active, he's very dangerous. He's worked a lot on his game, too and the biggest difference I see in him from last year is that he can sustain his efforts. He's become very consistent."
Matt Vogrich, Lake Forest
Year: Senior Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-4
College: Michigan (signed)
The 411: A sharp-shooter who could be a three-point specialist at Michigan, Vogrich has impressed since his freshman year. "Even back then, he kind of had a swagger, a confidence that coaches look for," said Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala, who got about 19 points per game out of Vogrich last year. "He played fearless. He still does. Coaches like that in a shooter. They also like that he's 6-foot-4 and has really long arms. He could be a three-point shooter in college, but I think he could also do everything else. One of the nice things about Matt is that he's worked really hard over the last two years to make himself more versatile. Now he's just as comfortable driving to the basket as he is shooting. He's also a really good passer."
Lenzelle Smith, Zion-Benton
Year: Junior Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-4
College: Ohio State (verbal)
The 411: Smith had about a dozen major Division I schools throwing scholarship offers at him shortly after he wrapped up his sophomore season. When Ohio State head coach Thad Matta showed up at a Zion-Benton open gym one day, Smith was sold. "You don't get the head coaches coming out too often," said Zion-Benton coach Don Kloth, who got about 14 points per game out of Smith en route to a second-place finish in the state tournament last spring. "Thad Matta said that he usually watches kids play at least three times before offering anything. He knew after watching Lenzelle play once. I think these coaches like that Lenzelle is so versatile. He could be a 2, 3 or 4."
Jereme Richmond, Waukegan
Year: Junior Position: Forward
Height: 6-6 College: Illinois (verbal)
The 411: The top-rated junior in the state of Illinois, Richmond is long, lean and smooth - perhaps the most athletic player that Lake County has seen in years. Case in point: He's Waukegan's tallest player, but could find himself playing some point guard for the Bulldogs this year. "He is so versatile, so superbly talented," said Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw, who got 19 points per game out of Richmond last year. "We can play him on the outside, but he can also score inside and go in the paint and be our best rebounder. He is a matchup nightmare."
Markus Yarbrough, Zion-Benton
Year: Senior Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-8
College: Tennessee State (verbal)
The 411: An imposing physical presence, Yarbrough can take over a game in the paint. But even though he's strongest making moves toward the basket, he also has a nice shooting touch and is effective out to about 15 feet. "When he's at the top of his game, Markus is a force," said Zion-Benton coach Don Kloth, who got about 11 points a game out of Yarbrough last year. "He has such nice skills for his size. And even though he's been on the varsity since his freshman year, he has a tremendous amount of untapped potential."
Colin Nickerson, Waukegan
Year: Senior Position: Guard
Height: 6-2 College: Fairfield (verbal)
The 411: Want a point guard? How about a shooting guard? Nickerson is a two-for-the-price-of-one deal. He can do it all on the perimeter. He can handle the ball, find open teammates and also find his own shot. He averaged about 13 points per game last year. "He is everything you want at that position," Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw said. "His jumpshot is consistent and he's confident in his ability to run a team. He's athletic and he is a lock-down defender."
Ben Brust, Mundelein
Year: Junior Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-1 College: Undecided
The 411: Brust is a smart, savvy player who has great body control and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Known early in his career as a shooter, Brust has added much more to his game and is a danger any time he touches the ball. "He can jump, he's fast, he can penetrate and pass," said Mundelein coach Dick Knar, who got 17 points per game out of Brust last year as a sophomore. He's a high-energy kid who can do everything."