Dec. 5, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State head men's basketball coach Tim Jankovich added a fourth and final piece to his 2008-09 recruiting class Wednesday, bolstering his frontcourt depth with the signing of 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward Ty Modupe. Modupe, a native of Topeka, Kan., attends Highland Park High School, where he helped lead the Scots to an undefeated (25-0) Kansas Class 5A State Championship campaign as a junior. He will enroll at ISU in the fall, and begin his eligibility next season.
"We are thrilled to be adding a player of Ty's (Modupe) ability to our program," said Jankovich. "He has all the tools to be an outstanding player. Ty is athletic, strong and has a very aggressive mentality. Most importantly, he is a winner. He comes from an outstanding high school program."
Last season, Modupe was a third-team all-state selection and a second-team all-city honoree. He averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game, while shooting 78 percent from the free throw line. Two of Modupe's senior teammates last season, Kyle Weems and Lamont Austin, both play for Missouri Valley Conference rival Missouri State.
As a sophomore (2005-06), Modupe was the Scots' sixth man, and averaged 4.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Highland Park finished 21-4 and second in the state tournament. His high school coach is Ken Darting, the father of ISU director of basketball operations Kerry Darting.
Modupe joins 2008-09 recruits Bobby Hill, Jeremy Robinson and Kenyon Smith, who all signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and basketball careers at Illinois State on Nov. 14.
