Illinois basketball recruiting: John Groce inks 5 prospects in 2013 signing class

Eager to turn his new Illinois basketball program around on the recruiting scene, first-year head coach John Groce officially picked up five signed letters of intent on Wednesday, according to an official release by the team.

All five names are members of Illinois' 2013 signing class, a group that includes two four-star prospects and three other players who each earned a three-star distinction from Scout.com. In-state shooting guards Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill were the crowning jewels of the class, as both were tabbed as top 15 players nationally at the two-guard position. Nunn, a 6'1 scorer from Simeon Vocational High School, is already well-known for his deadly three-point shot, and at No. 57 overall he is the highest-rated player in Groce's class.

The Fighting Illini also picked up signed letters from a pair of out-of-state prospects in addition to Nunn's teammate, Jaylon Tate from Simeon. The 6'2 Tate was not quite on the same level nationally as his good friend, but is the only true point guard to be added in the class. New Jersey big man Austin Colbert and Maverick Morgan from Ohio also faxed in their letters on Wednesday to round out the five-man class. Both unanimous three-star prospects, Colbert also drew interest from Florida, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Miami, while Morgan chose to attend Illinois over Dayton, Iowa State, Minnesota and Wisconsin.