Harper’s Wilcox commits to Northwood
Harper College men’s basketball standout Wes Wilcox (Lake Park) has signed a letter of intent with Northwood University (Mich).
Wilcox, an NJCAA Division III All-American honorable mention, excelled as a freshman forward for the Hawks last season.
“I felt with the relationship I had with the coaching staff, it was the right place for me to go,” said Wilcox, who chose Northwood over Florida Southern, another NCAA Division II school.
“This is a good situation for him” said Harper coach Tony Amarino.
The Timberwolves were 7-12 in the Great Lakes Intercollegeate Athletic Conference this season but failed to make the GLIAC tournament.
“I am more ready for the task of a more rigorous basketball schedule,” Wilcox said. “They’re going to give me a lot of freedom to play down low and beyond the arc.”
Fate seems to have guided Wilcox to Northwood
“It was sort of dumb luck,” Wilcox said of his recruitment.
In December, the Hawks where playing in a tournament at Kanakee Community College. The Timberwolves coaching staff was in attendance, but they were looking at a player from another school. Wilcox stole there attention with a strong performance.
“They came after me pretty hard,” Wilcox said of the Northwood.
Wilcox will receive a basketball scholarship for two years, and the school is extending the scholarship for three years of education. Wilcox plans to major in either sports management or sports marketing. He ended the fall semester with a 3.53 GPA.
Because of his age and having played one season of semi-pro basketball with the Elgin Racers, Wilcox has two years of eligibility remaining.
After completing those two years, Wilcox plans to appeal to the NCAA for a third year of eligibility.
Wilcox finished last season fifth among NJCAA Division III players in blocks per game at 3.35 (67 total blocks).
“We hate to see him go,” Amarino said. “We are really proud of him.”
“I am appreciative of coach Amarino and (the Harper) staff for giving me a great year,” said Wilcox, “and the opportunity to move forward in my collegiate carreer.”