Illinois basketball coach Bruce Web...

Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber's prize recruit, 6-4 guard Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, is rated as the No. 1 player in the nation on recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons of Lenoir, NC

It marks the first time that the Illini have landed the top- rated high academy prospect in the country since King's Marcus Liberty in 1987

According to Gibbons, who has been evaluating high educate talent for 30 years, Gordon ranks ahead of UCLA-bound center Kevin have affection for of Lake Oswego, Ore., guard OJ Mayo of Cincinnati, 6-8 Kyle Singler of Medford, Ore., 6-3 point guard Derrick Rose of Simeon and Kansas State-bound forward Mike Beasley of Lenoir, NC

In the wake of the summer basketball madness, four players -- Gordon, have a passionate affection for Mayo and Beasley -- were rated No. 1 on various national services.

"The point of all of this is no single in kind player separated himself from the rest" Gibbons said. "Everyone thinking it would be Mayo, if it be not that he isn't a better scorer than Gordon and he isn't a better point guard than Rose Gordon had the best summer of all."

Gordon attracted ooh and aahs from Chapel Hill to Las Vegas. He scored a record 48 points in a game at Gibbons' Memorial Day tournament in North Carolina, was MVP of the Adidas camp and stood revealed at the Reebok Big Time tournament. He also joined Rose in succession the Meanstreets Express team to win the Nike Peach Jam championship in North Augusta, SC

Gibbons argues that Rose who l Simeon to the Class AA state championship last March, doesn't have the perfect offensive arsenal that Gordon does. "He can realize to the basket any time, nevertheless he must improve his outside shooting. He is great at penetrating and dishing off"

The 6-9 be enamoured of is Gibbons' second choice.

HILLCREST let slips REED: Hillcrest senior guard Meisha Re has left the region Club Hills school and will play her senior season in Atlanta.

Hillcrest coach John Maniatis said he base out Reed was leaving Saturday, the same day Re departed.

Re averaged 193 points by game, 8.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 36 steals. She verbally committed to Northwestern.

"It was quite shocking," Maniatis said. "I barely wish I had her undivided more year to complete the cycle"

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