Evan Turner, a 6-7 forward (and top-25 player in the Class of 2007) from St. Joseph High in Westchester, Ill., said Saturday afternoon that he was ready to commit to N.C. State before Sendek's exit.
"This weekend, I was going to come down and commit," Turner said after leading the Illinois Wolves to a 74-54 victory over the Tallahassee Wildcats in pool play of the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions at the Smith Center. "But he left a couple of months ago."
Turner has started over with regard to picking a school and now considers himself "wide open." He has taken an unofficial visit to Ohio State -- he has family in Columbus, Ohio -- and said Duke assistant coach Chris Collins recently contacted him.
The Wolfpack's potential loss -- Turner said he has not heard from anyone on new N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe's staff -- could turn out to be even greater. N.C. State also was recruiting Illinois Wolves point guard Demetri McCamey, who is Turner's teammate at St. Joseph. The players said Saturday they don't have to play their college basketball together, but they also said they wouldn't mind it.
"We were kidding around the other day and talking about it, but we really don't talk the recruiting talk much," McCamey said. "We just like playing basketball. And for right now, there's no package deal. Whatever college he wants to go to and whatever college I want to go to, if it's the right fit, then both of us will go. If not, then he's got to go his separate way and do what's best for him."
Said Turner: "He's a good player, and I've been playing with him since I was like 11. If he goes the same place I do, it will be good to have a friendly face around."
The duo, primary targets of Wake Forest, put on a show in the Wolves' victory over the Wildcats. Lean with long arms, Turner blocked a shot on the first possession of the game and made a layup for his team's first points. He finished with 24 points, while McCamey -- well put together at 6-3 and 210 pounds -- scored 22. Each player assisted on four baskets by the other, including a pretty give-and-go that resulted in a jumper by McCamey in the game's opening minutes.
Turner said he wants to play in the ACC, Big East or Big Ten, and McCamey -- who said he has spoken often with coaches on Indiana's staff and has drawn interest from Miami and Virginia around the ACC -- said he will take an unofficial visit to Wake Forest next month.
"They're really cool guys, and they let their guards play," McCamey said of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser and his staff. "That's a plus for them."
Turner, so close to having his future plans in place a couple of months ago, isn't sure when he'll get back to that point. "I can't really call that," he said. "It's all about when it feels right. When I decided I wanted to commit to N.C. State, it felt right. I knew I wanted to go there, and it was kind of heartbreaking when they left."
