Signing day roundup

National signing day is here and YourSeason.com has all of the latest information in our live blog, updated throughout the day with news, notes, photos and quotes.

Coaches, athletic directors and parents are encouraged to e-mail us at preps@suntimes.com with photos or information on all signing day matters.

There will also be updates on the YourSeason Twitter and be sure to check out Joe Henricksen's take on all the local commitments in our photo gallery as well as the national analysts take in our Breaking down the area prospects story. We will also be adding photos of signing day as they come in.

9:00 p.m. Northern Illinois landed a local point guard in Zach Miller. Miller gave some thoughts on the program and his commitment.

"One of the main reasons for me going there was to stay close to home," Miller said. "I play for my Dad (Glenbard East coach Scott Miller) and my Mom has been to every one of my games so for them to still come to my games was important."

"Northern just felt right on the visits and I had a good relationship with the coaching staff."

The chance to play early also appealed to Zach.

"I think going in there and working hard I could play as a freshman," Miller said. "Whoever I have played with throughout my career I have won games. I didn't play on an AAU team like the Wolves or the Mean Streets but we still played those teams close in the spring and the summer.

"I liked the challenge of playing teams that are supposed to be better and teams that were ranked. I feel like I bring a competitive edge and a winning sense on the court. (Scott Phillips)

8:40 p.m. DePaul's five man class is official and coach Oliver Purnell gave the Sun-Times some comments on local guards Macari Brooks (Rich South) and Jamie Crockett (Crete-Monee).

"Obviously both are very athletic," Purnell said. "Jamie has a big upside and is a great athlete that can really run and jump. His outside shot improved a lot over the summer."

"Macari can score from many different spots on the floor and averaged around 18 points a game on a very good Rich South team. He also scored the ball during the summer with the Mac Irvin Fire and they had a lot of talent on that team. He'll bring some toughness to our team."

DePaul also added Florida point guard Shane Larkin and two big men, Mississippi native Derell Robertson and Canadian forward Braeden Anderson. (Scott Phillips)

7:55 p.m. Derrick Marks shared some thoughts on signing with Boise State.

"It feels great now that I can focus on the season," Marks said. "I don't have to talk to a coach everyday and it's just one less problem for me to deal with. Now I can just play."

The coaching staff at Boise State played a big part in Marks' decision.

"They have a great coaching staff," Marks said. "Coach (Leon) Rice has a history of winning at Gonzaga and he comes from a school that beat a lot of bigger schools in the tournament. What more can you ask for (in a coach)?" (Scott Phillips)

7:25 p.m. Fremd guard Zach Monaghan also signed today with South Dakota State.

"It was a relief to get it out of the way but I'm really excited about the decision," Monaghan said. "It's a good accomplishment for me and my family."

South Dakota State doesn't exactly sound appealing to many from the Chicago area, but Monaghan enjoyed the campus quite a bit.

"You kind of have to be there to appreciate the school," Monaghan said. "Before I visited when I was talking to the coaches and receiving letters I didn't know what to think but when I got there I thought, 'Wow, this would be a good college experience for me.'" (Scott Phillips)

7:15 p.m. Fremd coach Bob Widlowski just confirmed that guard Zach Monaghan signed his letter of intent this morning to attend South Dakota State. (Scott Phillips)

7:00 p.m. Rich South assistant Walter Woghiren sent a text regarding Macari Brooks' letter of intent to DePaul.

"We just faxed over LOI and DePaul confirmed receipt!" Woghiren said.

Brooks joins Crete-Monee guard Jamie Crockett, Florida point guard Shane Larking, Mississippi center Derell Robertson and Canadian forward Braeden Anderson in DePaul's five man class, the first class under new coach Oliver Purnell. (Scott Phillips)

6:05 p.m. In local college news, Loyola signed junior college guard Colin Beatty and Joe Crisman from Munster, Indiana.

Beatty is a native of Maryland that is currently at Barton County (Kansas) Community College. Crisman played club basketball with the Illinois Wolves and was teammates with local stars Tracy Abams, Nnanna Egwu, David Sobolewski and Frank Kaminsky.

"Colin is a terrific kid who comes from a tremendous family," Ramblers coach Jim Whitesell said. "He will fit in great with our team and will add more versatility to our lineup. We're really thrilled to welcome Joe to the Loyola family. He will be a perfect fit both on and off the basketball. Joe is all about winning. We love that about him. In addition, Joe has a great degree of toughness to him that you just don't see in most high school basketball players." (Toni Ginnetti)

5:50 p.m. Frank Kaminsky gave a few quotes on his letter signing with Wisconsin.

"I've been committed since June, I've taken my official visit to the school and signing the letter of intent was just icing on the cake," Kaminsky said.

It was also special for Frank signing with Benet teammate and friend David Sobolewski.

"We've been playing basketball together as teammates since I started playing in fourth grade," Kaminsky said. "When we came in to Benet we both wanted to be big-time basketball players so it was awesome to sign with him." (Scott Phillips)

5:25 p.m. David Sobolewski gave us some of his thoughts on signing day and the Northwestern basketball program.

"Today was really a fun day and it's nice to know everything is official and all set in stone. I can't wait to get on campus now," Sobolewski said.

Northwestern's recent success was also a big part in landing the Benet point guard.

"They obviously have a great academic history and now the basketball program has improved and it's Chicago's Big Ten team," Sobolewski said. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play in front of friends and family and I love the coaching staff and the way things are going."

It was also a special day for Sobolewski to sign a letter of intent with friend and teammate Frank Kaminsky, who signed with Wisconsin.

"It was really a lot of fun signing with Frank, we've been in school together since Kindergarten," Sobolewski said. "For the two of us to sign and join the Big Ten is great. We've been playing with and against each other since the fourth grade and it's going to make those Northwestern and Wisconsin games a lot of fun." (Scott Phillips)

5:15 p.m. Added some Nick Zeisloft photos into the photo gallery. Also confirmed with Illinois Attack club coach Rodney Davis that Kyle Anderson signed with Delaware this afternoon. (Scott Phillips)

4:50 p.m. Some photos of Nick Zeisloft signing with Illinois State will be added to YourSeason.com shortly. (Scott Phillips)

4:30 p.m. Hillcrest point guard Julius Brown signed with Toledo today and can now focus on defending the Class 3A state title.

"It just feels great having the pressure off you and now I can go into the season more relaxed," Brown said. "We know more of the teams we play are going to come at us hard."

Brown joins the MAC conference which saw former Seton point guard D.J. Cooper win MAC Freshman of the Year last season.

"It's a good conference to play in," Brown said of the MAC. "Being in that conference is one of the reasons I liked Toledo."

Scout.com national recruiting analyst Brian Snow likes the fit for Brown and Toledo.

"I think I am the president of his fan club," Snow said. "He could definitely be an All-MAC point guard early in his career at Toledo. Excellent get for the Rockets." (Scott Phillips)

4:25 p.m. Lyons guard and future Illinois State Redbird Nick Zeisloft gave some quotes on his signing day.

"It's very relieving," Zeisloft said. "The whole process is kind of dramatic and I'm happy to get it over with before the season so I can focus on getting the team ready."

Illinois State has also done a nice job keeping local kids in the program.

"It'll be great because the distance to home is nice," Zeisloft said of Illinois State. "I've met Johnny Hill and talked to him a couple times and I can already tell he's going to be a great teammate and I'm looking forward to playing with him the next four years. It should be fun." (Scott Phillips)

4:10 p.m. Got some quotes from Sam Thompson on his signing with Ohio State.

"It's kind of a relief to sign and end this," Thompson said. "For the work I've put in the last couple of years it is a rewarding feeling."

Thompson also talked about what it was like to play in the highly-touted Illinois class of 2011."

"It was a big day," Thompson said. "We came in to high school as one of the most talented classes in recent years and it's nice to see all of these guys sign with high-major and mid-major programs. (Scott Phillips)

4:05 p.m. Received word from Northwestern that Benet guard David Sobolewski and U-High forward Mike Turner have sent their letters of intent in.

Mike Turner's coach at U-High, Troy Caldwell, had this to say about the future Wildcat.

"What Mike has done is use his work ethic to improve in every area of the game. He's 6-8 and a legit ball handler that has a faceup game, or can play with his back to the basket. His size and athleticism will allow him to play the three or four in college and he's also the best shooter in our program. To succeed in the Big Ten he'll need to get stronger but he has the body and skills to make it work." (Scott Phillips)

4:00 p.m. New photos are in the photo gallery of Nnanna Egwu and Mike Shaw signing with Illinois. (Scott Phillips)

3:45 p.m. Glenbard East coach Scott Miller confirmed that point guard Zach Miller has signed with Northern Illinois while teammate Johnny Hill signed with Illinois State. (Scott Phillips)

3:35 p.m. Mycheal Henry's letter of intent is at Illinois. The entire class is now officially signed. Also stay tuned for exclusive photos of Nnanna Egwu and Mike Shaw signing their letters of intent. (Scott Phillips)

3:25 p.m. UW-Green Bay confirmed that they have received letters of intent from Marshall point guard Keifer Sykes and Crete-Monee forward Greg Mays. (Scott Phillips)

3:07 p.m. Dylan Ennis of Lake Forest Academy checked in with some quotes on his letter of intent to Rice.

"It's been a dream of mine since a young age to play in the NBA, but to do that, I have to play college basketball," Ennis said. "It was a goal of mine to get a scholarship to play college basketball. Now I can focus on the high school season and get ready for college academically and athletically." (Scott Phillips)

3:03 p.m. Some downstate news. O'Fallon's Roosevelt Jones has signed his letter of intent with Butler while Bloomington Central Catholic's Hayden Hoerdemann has signed with Western Michigan. (Scott Phillips)

2:50 p.m. Joliet West coach Luke Yaklich said that guard Remy Roberts-Burnett will sign with Western Illinois around 3:45. Julius Brown of Class 3A state champion Hillcrest has signed his letter of intent with Toledo. (Scott Phillips)

2:45 p.m. Photos have been added to the photo gallery for Ryan Sawvell signing with Evansville. (Scott Phillips)

2:10 p.m. Mundelein's Ryan Sawvell has inked his letter of intent to play with Evansville. We'll have photos up of that one shortly. (Scott Phillips)

2:05 p.m. Mike Irvin confirmed that Morgan Park shooting guard Jerome Brown has signed his letter of intent for UIC while Brehm Prep guard Bruce Barron from Carbondale has signed to play for Oregon. (Scott Phillips)

2:00 p.m. Update on players signing letters. Plainfield Central guard Derrick Marks informed us via text that he signed with Boise State. DePaul confirmed that they have received the letter of intent from Crete-Monee wing Jamie Crockett. (Scott Phillips)

1:55 p.m. Illinois has received the letter of intent from Mike Shaw. (Scott Phillips)

1:50 p.m. Louisville coach Rick Pitino with some Wayne Blackshear quotes during his press conference. "Wayne's coach (Nick Irvin) is also outstanding," Pitino said. "They'll have to adjust to playing here but they can do that. Both Wayne, Chane (Behanan) and Zach (Price) are all strong enough to be impact players when they come in."

"We got exactly what we were after." (Scott Phillips)

1:40 p.m. The speculation is over, Wayne Blackshear has signed the letter of intent and Louisville has received it. (Scott Phillips)

1:35 p.m. Nnanna Egwu with some quotes. Egwu on Weber: "He's a great guy, he really cares about you as a person. He's a great role model for all of us."

Egwu on the Illinois class: "It was really exciting to see Henry and Shaw commit after I did. We are going to have a great group of players." (Michael O'Brien)

1:20 p.m. George Marshall gave us some quotes on Wisconsin. "It feels great to be signing the letter and joining Wisconsin and their winning basketball tradition," he said.

When asked about the number of Illinois kids attending Wisconsin, which includes Benet's Frank Kaminsky in the 2011 class Marshall said, "It definitely played a factor as I got to know those guys. We're going to be playing representing the University of Wisconsin but also playing for (the state of) Illinois." (Scott Phillips)

1:00 p.m. Michael O'Brien is currently at St. Ignatius awaiting Nnanna Egwu's press conference. Meanwhile, Bruce Weber's press conference has been pushed back to 3:45 due to an issue with paperwork. (Scott Phillips)

12:25 p.m. George Marshall Sr. informed us that his son, George Marshall of Brooks, is signing his letter of intent and faxing it to Wisconsin at 3:30. (Scott Phillips)

12:20 p.m. The photos of Tracy Abrams and other Mount Carmel athletes signing letters of intent is now up and can be viewed here. (Scott Phillips)

12:10 p.m. We just received some photos of Tracy Abrams at signing day and are posting them on the site soon. (Scott Phillips)

11:40 a.m. Plenty of good players left in the area but Joe Henricksen's top five available are Dre Henley of De La Salle, Quinton Chievous of Notre Dame, Darien Walker of Simeon, James Farr of Evanston and Aaron Armstead of Hales. (Scott Phillips)

11:25 a.m. Lake Forest Academy point guard Dylan Ennis has signed his letter of intent with Rice according to his Twitter. (Scott Phillips)

11:10 a.m. Vocational coach Chris Pickett called to inform us that forward Rayshaun McGrew orally committed to Chicago State two days ago and plans on signing the letter of intent at his home this evening. (Scott Phillips)

11:05 a.m. Macari Brooks will sign at 2:30 p.m. according to Walter Woghiren. (Scott Phillips)

10:55 a.m. Ohio State has received Young forward Sam Thompson's letter of intent. (Scott Phillips)

10:45 a.m. Full Package club coach Billy Welcome confirmed that Lyons guard Nick Zeisloft signed his LOI to Illinois State this morning. Rich South assistant coach Walter Woghiren confirming that Rich South guard Macari Brooks will sign to DePaul within the hour. (Scott Phillips)

10:33 a.m. Tracy Abrams signed his letter of intent at 10:20 a.m. "It makes me feel good to think I started the class off," Abrams said, "It encourages me to be a leader."

Abrams also said he will bring, "leadership, a great attitude and defense" to the Illini. (Michael O'Brien)

10:30 a.m. Some local news not pertaining to local prospects. Limestone guard Donivine Stewart has sent his letter of intent to Bradley and DePaul received a letter of intent from Florida point guard Shane Larkin, the son of former Cincinnati Red shortstop Barry Larkin. (Scott Phillips)

10:20 a.m. Just posted a story getting a national recruiting analyst perspective on some of the area prospects. You can find link here. (Scott Phillips)

10:15 a.m. Michael O'Brien is heading down to Mount Carmel for Tracy Abrams' signing with Illinois. Abrams is at 10 a.m., Egwu has a press conference at 1:15 p.m., Shaw is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and Mycheal Henry is at 4. Bruce Weber has a press conference set up for 11:30 a.m. and he needs the signed letters of intent to talk about the recruits. All four could have the letter signed by 11 a.m. (Michael O'Brien)

10:10 a.m. Illinois has received its first letter of intent. According to the Twitter of assistant coach Jerrence Howard, St. Ignatius center Nnanna Egwu has signed and faxed it in. (Scott Phillips)

9:35 a.m. Mount Carmel point guard Tracy Abrams (Illinois) and Plainfield Central guard Derrick Marks (Boise State) are both scheduled to sign their letters of intent within the hour. (Scott Phillips)

9:20 a.m. We received word from Niles North assistant coach Sid White that forward Abdel Nader, who is committed to New Mexico, will not sign a letter of intent and is, "50/50 on (reclassifying) to 2012." (Scott Phillips)

9:00 a.m. Signing day is here. Be sure to follow updates throughout the day. (Scott Phillips)

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