MBB announces 2012-13 recruits

Story provided by Loyola’s athletics department

Loyola University Chicago Head Men’s Basketball Coach Porter Moser announced today the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent in Darell Combs, Matt O’Leary, Nick Osborne, and Jeff “Keke” White. The class features a balance of two guards and a pair of forwards, as well as two student-athletes from both Illinois and Indiana, two primary areas targeted by Moser in recruiting.
“Our staff has worked tirelessly to identify kids and recruit them,” Moser says. “We identified speed, shooting ability, mobility, and toughness as our primary needs and we feel we addressed those initial needs with this first class.”

Combs, who is a 6-foot-1 combo guard from Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, averaged 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists as a junior in 2010-11. He has been ranked as the No. 12 senior in the Chicagoland area Hoops Report.

“Darell has a natural instinct and ability to score the ball,” Moser says. “He can shoot the three but can also get past you off the dribble and he has a tremendous ability to pass, which is a trait some scorers don’t have. I love how much Darell wants to be at Loyola and wants to help us become a championship program. We felt it important to recruit the Chicago area and Darell was someone we keyed on during our first few weeks on the job. As he gets stronger physically, you’ll see his game elevate to another level.”

A 6-foot-7 forward from Terre Haute North Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, O’Leary contributed 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game in 2010-11. Despite his size, O’Leary is an accomplished shooter who knocked down 40 percent (36 for 89) of his three-point field goal attempts last season and shot 50 percent (92 for 185) from the field overall to help his squad to an 18-8 overall record.

“Matt has tremendous range on his shot for someone who is 6-foot-8 but he is more than just a shooter,” Moser says. “He has worked very hard to develop a pull-up shot and on his dribble drive to the basket. Matt has long arms and a frame that can allow for 15 more pounds. He plays in arguably the best conference in the state of Indiana where he is seeing top competition night in and night out. He comes from a culture where winning is paramount.”

One of the top players in Indiana, Osborne has been rated as high as the No. 2 prospect in the hoops-crazed state. Last season at Muncie Central High School in Muncie, Indiana, Osborne contributed 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

“I have been watching Nick grow as a player for the last few years and he has a toughness about him that combined with his athletic ability will make him a special player for our program,” Moser says. “We want mobile, skilled student-athletes in our program and Nick is athletic, skilled, tough, and comes from a great high school program. He turned down several other scholarship offers because he wanted to be a guy who could make an impact and help build a championship caliber program.”

White is a 6-foot-1 guard who plays at perennial power Peoria Manual High School in Peoria, Illinois. Last season, White, whose father Charles played basketball at Bradley in the 1990s, averaged 15.0 points and 3.7 assists per contest en route to Associated Press Honorable Mention All-State and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Second Team All-State recognition

“Keke brings instant speed to our team and comes from a Peoria Manual program that has a proud tradition of excellence,” Moser says. “He is a team leader on a squad that finished second in the state. In addition to possessing a lot of toughness, Jeff will help our aggressiveness on defense. He is a very strong player for his size and he holds all of the traits we were seeking as we built this recruiting class.”
To learn even more about the recruiting class, stop by the University’s Signing Day Party, which is being held later today at 5:30 p.m. in the Norville Center’s media room.

Looking better, much better

Is that the Loyola Academy gym?

It's like a completely different place. It looks great.

They should be able to start having other types of events at the stadium. They have sufficient on site parking and are steps away from public transportation. It would be a good place to see a concert.

won tickets to Loyola-UIC on the radio yesterday...probably not worth the price of the phone call

Must have been the only to have called in.



Noticed the Averkamp kid has been playing good, he just must not have much talent at all around him.

Well good luck thinking Cully Payne is going to be anything more than serviceable. He was a hustler, but a poor shooter, decent passer.

Well good luck thinking Cully Payne is going to be anything more than serviceable. He was a hustler, but a poor shooter, decent passer.

I can feel the jealousy. Don't worry, I'm sure Iowa will get another future star sometime down the road. And just remember Vince, it's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.

Bruno and Tim's directly across the street is a fun dive bar. I promise you'd know someone just about any day you walked in.

The attraction for me is that it is close, cheap entertainment with plenty of room for the kids. They haven't been good in years. The last talented team squandered a senior heavy group with two legit players. Being a devoted fan would be depressing as they recruit badly for a team in a city with plenty of raw, unrecognized talent. I cannot remember the last time I had hope for them to be good.

Bruno and Tim's directly across the street is a fun dive bar. I promise you'd know someone just about any day you walked in.

Just make sure to get a tetanus shot before you go. Hamilton's a little further south on Broadway was always a decent place. Good talent there as well, for you old perverts

Just make sure to get a tetanus shot before you go. Hamilton's a little further south on Broadway was always a decent place. Good talent there as well, for you old perverts