April 13, 2005
Normal, Ill. -
Illinois State head coach Porter Moser likes a player with the right attitude, especially a winning attitude. The Redbird mentor will get just that with Bettendorf (Iowa) High School product Mike Vandello, who signed a national letter of intent to continue his education and basketball career at Illinois State.
Vandello, a 6-foot-7, 220 pound forward, led the Bulldogs to a 25-1 record and a Class 4A state basketball championship. In addition to claiming the state title with an 81-60 win over defending champion Linn-Mar Marion, Vandello opened the game with the first nine points. He earned all-tournament honors after tallying a combined 42 points and 18 rebounds in the three tournament games.
"Mike is a very skilled athlete and a four or three type of player," Moser said. "He is a solid passer with great hands and a nice shooting touch. I love the fact that he won a state championship and has experienced being a part of a winning program."
In addition to being with a winning basketball program, Vandello was also a midfielder on Bettendorf's state championship soccer team in 2004.
"He also plays soccer and has tremendous footwork," Moser added. "I can see him progress into a three later in his career, but now we are going to look at him playing the four. His perimeter play will help us free up the middle for Lorenzo (Gordon) inside."
Vandello, who ranks No. 1 in his class with a 4.0 grade point average, is eager to begin his collegiate career at Illinois State.
"I'm really excited about joining coach Moser and the Illinois State team," Vandello said. "The program is heading back in the right direction and it is exciting just to be a part of it."
The Redbird recruit ranked second on the Bulldogs' roster with 12.7 points per game and led the squad with six rebounds per contest, while claiming the Mississippi Athletic Conference title with a perfect 16-0 mark. He also finished the season earning second team all-state honors
A three-year letterwinner at Bettendorf, Vandello was a starter in the 2003-04 season, while helping the team earn a state tourney berth and a third-place finish. He was also recruited by Northern Iowa and Princeton.
Vandello joins Roberto Fortes of Daytona Beach Community College and Bloomington High School's Dodie Dunson and Brandon Holtz, who all signed during the early signing period, to form Moser's second recruiting class.
