Demetri McCamey is a 6-3, 205-pound point guard from Westchester,
Ill. He attends St. Joseph High School under the direction of
legendary coach Gene Pingatore. The first Illini signee ever from
St. Joseph, McCamey averaged 14 points, six rebounds, seven assists
and three steals as a junior, helping lead St. Joseph to the IHSA
Class AA Sectional Finals. He was a second-team All-State selection
by the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, third-team All-State by the
IBCA, and an East Suburban Catholic All-Conference honoree. McCamey
is a consensus national Top-100 recruit, receiving four stars by
Scout.com (No. 79). McCamey also played
for the Illinois Wolves AAU team coached by Mike Mullins.
"The first thing that stands out about Demetri is that he has a big
body for a point guard," Weber said. "He has great point guard
skills and good athletic ability. He is a team-first player who is a
leader and has the ability to score, create and defend. Demetri has
benefited from playing for a legend in Coach Pingatore who does an
outstanding job of developing players and teaching kids how to play.
Demetri has a great personality. He is a fun-loving kid who has been
very vocal about how excited he is to be coming to Illinois."
Bill Cole is a 6-9, 200-pound power forward from Peoria, Ill. He
attends Richwoods High School under the direction of head coach Mike
Ellis. Cole averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 blocks as a
junior, leading Richwoods to a runner-up finish at the 2006 IHSA
Class AA state tournament, where the Knights were defeated in the
championship game by Simeon, 31-29 in overtime. The reigning Class
AA Peoria Journal Star Player of the Year, Cole was a first-team
All-State selection by the IBCA, second-team All-State by the
Chicago Tribune and News-Gazette and honorable mention All-State by
the Associated Press. He is a three-star recruit by Scout.com. Cole also played for the Illinois Warriors AAU team
coached by Larry Butler.
Cole's father, Terry, was a four-year letterwinner at defensive end
on the Illini football team from 1980-83, participating on the UI's
1983 Big Ten Championship squad that played in the Rose Bowl. His
sister, Stephanie, is currently a sophomore at Illinois. Cole
continues the tradition of Peoria's top prep players signing with
Illinois. Since Jerry Hester first suited up for the Illini in the
fall of 1993, Illinois carries a current streak of having at least
one Peoria native on its roster for 14 straight seasons.
"Bill has very good skills and has a great knowledge of the game; he
understands how to play," Weber said. "At his height he's probably
meant to be more of a power forward, but with his game he plays more
of a skilled forward. Coach Ellis does a nice job running motion and
they have Bill at 6-9 running off screens, looking to get jump
shots. So he gives you a different look from that position than
you're used to seeing. He has won at the high school level, leading
Richwoods to the state championship game last year. He also has
great loyalty to Illinois and has strong family ties to the
University with his dad having played football and his sister
currently attending here."
Mike Tisdale is a 7-0, 215-pound center from Riverton, Ill. He
attends Riverton High School under the direction of head coach Jon
Hampton. Tisdale averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.9 blocks
as a junior, leading Riverton to the IHSA Class A Super-Sectionals.
The Springfield State Journal-Register's Class A Player of the Year
last season, Tisdale also earned first-team All-State honors by the
IBCA and second-team All-State recognition by the News-Gazette. He
is a three-star recruit by Scout.com. Tisdale
also played for the St. Louis Eagles AAU team coached by Eric Long,
Roy Pierce and Cory Frazier.
"Mike is obviously a big kid who is very young for his class, having
just turned 17, so he's just starting to catch up with his body,"
Weber said. "What we noticed right away about Mike is that he
already has very good skills and great footwork for a seven-footer.
He has worked hard and his coaches have done a nice job putting in
extra time with him on individual improvement, helping him gain
coordination and explosiveness. With his combination of skills and
size, Mike has outstanding potential."