Indiana guard grabs Big Ten offer
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Illinois head coach John Groce was in Louisville over the weekend to watch the UAA Grassroots tournament and check out 2017 guard Paul Scruggs from Indianapolis Southport / Indy Hoosiers.
The 6-foot-2 Scruggs, who previously held early offers from Indiana, Purdue, Xavier, and Kansas, came away from the weekend with an offer from Illinois.
Orange and Blue News caught up with Scruggs on Monday just have he received the news of his new Big Ten offer.
"It's a great school," Scruggs said about Illinois. "I feel truly blessed to have an offer from Illinois. My AAU coach Michael Peterson just informed me of the news. . Coach Groce did watch one of my games, and Illinois has been talking to me a lot more lately."
A 4-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Scruggs checks in at No. 31 nationally. He's a dynamic scorer as a combo guard, is athletic and physical, and has great length with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. Scruggs will undoubtedly get major attention from some top programs around the nation.
Others showing interest in Scruggs include Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Butler, Northwestern, and Ohio State. Groce extended an invitation for Scruggs to visit the Champaign campus, though a specific date hasn't yet been worked out.
"I have visited Indiana and Purdue," Scruggs said. "The schools that have offered me seem to be the most interested so far. Coach Groce wants me to visit Illinois and if I can I will."
Scruggs has been on the radar of college scouts since he was in middle school. He transitioned from being primarily an inside player early on and has made big strides in developing his handles and shooting ability.
During his sophomore season in high school this past winter, Scruggs teamed with 2016 big man Joey Brunk to help lead Southport to a 23-3 record. Displaying a terrific all-around game, Scruggs put up averages of 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on the year.
According to Scruggs, it's too early in the process to trim his list to a group of favorites. He does say he would ultimately like to play relatively close to his home in Indianapolis, however.
"I want to go to a college where I can get a great education and somewhere productive in life," he said" "Being close to home does matter to me because I'm very close to my family."
Kedric Prince has covered the Fighting Illini for over a decade. He is currently the Illini recruiting analyst for the Moline Dispatch / Rock Island Argus newspaper in the Quad Cities. Follow Kedric on Twitter @KedPrince4
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