Nov. 9, 2005
NORMAL, Ill. -
Adjectives like "above the rim," "a slasher," and "highly athletic" are sure to bring a smile to the face of any collegiate basketball coach when describing a recruit. That's why it's easy to understand why Illinois State's Porter Moser was grinning ear-to-ear on Wednesday when he announced the signing of two such recruits in Osiris Eldridge (Phillips Academy/Chicago), a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard, and Bobby Hill (Vashon High School/St. Louis), a 6-foot-6, 203-pound wing.
Eldridge, who averaged 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and nearly five steals last season, is rated as the nation's No. 40 shooting guard by Rivalhoops.com. He enters his senior season as a three-year starter and saw his stock rise at the adidas SuperStar Camp in July. At the camp, Eldridge was selected to play in the 2005 Wallace Prather, Jr. Memorial All-Star Classic, which features the top players from the camp and reads like a who's who among the top high school players in the country.
Osiris, pronounced oh-SY-ris, was named by his father. It means "the Egyptian god of the dead," but Moser and Eldridge look to bring Redbird basketball new life.
"Osiris is a highly competitive, extremely athletic guard," Moser said. "He's one of the best athletes in our state. He can run, play above the rim, slash and get to the basket and score. When you have that kind of athleticism and combine that with his work ethic, I think he is going to be a very good player for us.
"We started watching him before his junior year even started," Moser said. "Then he blew up and had an unbelievable summer on the national scene. One of the things I like most about Osiris is that it means a lot to him to play in his home state; and he really bought into building Illinois State up to the championship level again."
Eldridge, the 2005 IHSA Class AA Slam Dunk Champion, sees Illinois State as "a perfect fit."
"Illinois State was the best situation for me. The coaches, university, location, players, arena and style of play -- it was just all a perfect fit," Eldridge said. "I'm just looking forward to playing with Bobby Hill and the rest of the team to bring Illinois State basketball back on top."
Hill is used to being on top, as he finishes his high school career with one of the premier prep basketball programs in the country. Entering his fourth year on the varsity at Vashon High School, Hill averaged 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists his junior season. The team, which was ranked No. 1 by USA Today during the season last year, finished with a 29-1 record as the runner-up in the Missouri Class 5A state tournament.
"Bobby is in the same mold of being long, competitive and athletic," Moser said. "He can play a couple different positions and combines that with a great work ethic. He comes from a great program that will probably be ranked as one of the top 5 in the nation this year, and is one of, if not the premier player on that team.
"Bobby runs the floor well and plays above the rim," Moser said. "It's good because, like Osiris, Bobby really bought in and believes that he will be a big part of bringing Illinois State back to the top."
Hill does share in Moser's and Eldridge's common goal, but he was also impressed with the chemistry of the Redbird team.
"I just felt really good chemistry between the players and coaches," Hill said about his decision. "I had good communication with the coaches and I
bonded with the players. Illinois State was just the right fit for me. Osiris and I were on campus at the same time and we were both excited about
the idea of playing together and being Redbirds. I called him the night I gave my verbal (commitment) to coach and the next day he committed."
In addition to the thought of Eldridge and Hill's commitments and talents, Moser is also pleased with what the recruiting experts are saying about the Redbirds latest additions. Dave Telep of Scout.com has dubbed Eldridge as the top recruit signed during the early signing period in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
"There are guys who sign at mid-major schools and then there are guys that sign and are ticketed to have an impact," Telep said. "Osiris Eldridge is a young man who many think will impact a program in college. He was a great get for Illinois State."
ChicagoHoops.com's Brian Stinnette, who has Eldridge ranked as the state's No. 8 player and the No. 2 shooting guard behind Duke recruit Jon Scheyer, also agrees.
"Illinois State is getting a tremendous all-around basketball player," Stinnette said. "He's not only a great all-around basketball player, Osiris is a great all-around kid. He is a phenomenal athlete, who gets up and down the floor."
Hill is also highly touted.
"Bobby is big and highly athletic," Stinnette said. "He excels both as a slasher, and as a finisher when he gets to the rim. He is a high impact recruit for the Redbirds and he will be able to step in and compete immediately."
Telep's service evaluated Hill with its highest mid-major grade.
"Illinois State was looking to improve its athleticism and head coach Porter Moser did that with Bobby Hill," said Telep. "Bobby wants to be a multi-position player and he will have the opportunity to do that at ISU, while improving the team's overall athleticism. He's bouncy and likes to run the floor."
Heading into the recruiting season, Moser and his staff were looking heavily at filling some voids at the guard position.
"We knew we had three seniors that were all guards," Moser said. "To get two high school players that were high-profile in terms of being top 150 in the country shows that our recruiting effort is paying off and it's a great sign for the future."
In regards to the future, Moser is still weighing his options with the final scholarship available for this recruiting class.
"I think what we're going to do is evaluate and see what our biggest need is," said Moser. "I like the flexibility of having the option to do that."
