Austin Colbert commits to Illinois, gives John Groce big man in recruiting class

Four-star basketball recruit Austin Colbert committed to play for the Illinois Fighting Illini on Monday, as Tom Fornelli of The Champaign Room writes. The commitment adds to an already impressive recruiting class for first-year head coach John Groce, who just reeled in his third top-100 prospect.

A 6'9, 200-pound forward out of Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, NJ, Colbert listed Illinois, Seton Hall, Miami (Fla.) and Villanova as his finalists recently. By committing to the Fighting Illini, the 92nd-ranked prospect on Rivals' Top 150 list bolsters a 2013 recruiting class that was already expected to be one of the best in the nation.

In addition to Colbert, Groce has also reeled in Kendrick Nunn, Malcolm Hill, Maverick Morgan and Jaylon Tate, all highly-regarded prospects, to commit to Illinois. Nunn and Hill are particularly popular among recruiters these days, as Nunn ranks 45th on Rivals' list while Hill ranks 67th.