Well-traveled Verge back on the radar

2017 combo guard Alonzo Verge is well-traveled.

After blowing up as a sophomore at Willowbrook (Ill.), Verge was a hot name on the summer circuit a year ago with the St. Louis Eagles in Nike’s EYBL.

Verge then spent a season playing at Arlington Country Day Prep in Jacksonville, Florida, and he seemed to fall off the radar for Illinois and some other schools that had been recruiting him.

Now back in the Chicago area, Verge is back in the EYBL this spring, running with Meanstreets.

“It was a family decision to bring Alonzo back closer to home,” said Verge’s mother Tricia Moncrief. “He wants to raise his national profile and better his game against elite competition.”

Through the Session 1 of the EYBL in Brooklyn, Verge is averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game. He teams with 2017 stars Brian Bowen, Isaiah Livers, and Nojel Eastern with the Meanstreets club, as well as Simeon guard Evan Gilyard.

Though he’s currently enrolled at Proviso West, where Verge will play his senior season of high school is still up in the air. He could be back at Proviso West or move to another Chicago area high school.

That instability has caused some programs to back off in his recruitment.

The Illini reportedly still have interest in Verge, though it’s not known exactly where he stands in the pecking order. Illinois already holds a commitment from guards Da’Monte Williams and Javon Pickett in the 2017 class, and have other offers out.

Still, the interest is mutual, according to Verge.

“I really like Illinois,” he said. “They have been with me since the very beginning of my recruitment.”

Providence is another school that has offered and continues to communicate with Verge. According to his mother, Verge has also heard from DePaul and St. Louis, with some recent interest from Kansas.

Illinois first got involved with Verge during his big sophomore season at Willowbrook. It remains to be seen if they will be a major player now that Verge is back in the area.

As he garners more interest this spring and summer on the AAU circuit, Verge has an idea of what he’s looking for in a school.

“I’m going somewhere I can make an immediate impact and a program that fits my style of play,” Verge said. “I also have to be in tune with the coach.”