Jake Lindfors

[alum73]

This must have just happened!!!!

 

 

A Recruiting Steal! 6-10 Class Of 2008 Driscoll Star Jake Lindfors Verbals To The University Of Albany

 

 

Brian Stinnette

September 23, 2007

 

Email Questions/Comments To brian@chicagohoops.com

 

 

Sizzling-hot Class of 2008 Driscoll star Jake Lindfors of the Rising Stars has given a verbal commitment to play his college basketball for the University of Albany. Lindfors, who has seen his recruiting stock skyrocket over the past six months, ranks as one of the top Class of 2008 basketball prospects in the state of Illinois.

 

 

 

Lindfors, a 6-10 post, is known for his ability to play both inside and outside. He is equally comfortable making things happen inside, or stepping out, and knocking down shots with range out beyond the three-point arc. Lindfors blossomed into a bona fide star on the basketball court this spring and summer on the travel team circuit with the Rising Stars.

 

Lindfors told ChicagoHoops.com that the coaching staff at Albany, the team chemistry, the school, and the opportunity to step in and play heavy minutes were all major factors in his decision to attend Albany, which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years.

 

With his recruiting stock soaring, Lindfors could have waited, and gotten a bigger offer as the likes of Northwestern and DePaul both made recent inquiries, but everything fit with Albany, and he decided to make a commitment.

 

Lindfors selected Albany over offers from Western Illinois, Illinois State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Eastern Illinois and Florida Golf Coast. Lindfors scored 25 points in leading his Spurs team to victory in a game at the Rising Stars Fall League presented by ChicagoHoops.com, and then went into an office and informed all of the college programs involved of his decision.

 

Lindfors is the latest member of the 17-U Rising Stars to offer a verbal commitment. Cully Payne (DePaul), Peter Boehm (Harvard), Chris Wroblewski (Cornell), Kevin Stineman (SIU-Edwardsville) and John Bagge (Hillsdale) have already made their college selections. This was Lindfors first year competing on the travel team circuit.

[Clickclack]

Great news!

[Patch]

Great News - now lets hope he's closer to 6'10" then 6'7".

 

A 6'10" 4 man would be great especially if he can stroke the "3" somewhat like Brent. It seems like he is suppose to have a better post up game and handle then Brent.

 

I just hope he brings some of the intangibles Brent has - giving up his body & picking up charges etal.

 

With the way Brian Connelly has continued to improve we seemingly could be solid at the 4 again next year. I also wouldn't be surprised to see 6'6" Billy Allen get some time at the 4 when we want to go smaller

[Clickclack]

From the Singalis blog.....courtesy of TU.

 

 

"UAlbany gets verbal commitment from Chicago center

September 24, 2007 at 8:02 am by Mark Singelais, Staff writer

 

UAlbany received a verbal commitment on Sunday night from 6-foot-9 center Jake Lindfors of Driscoll Catholic High School in Chicago. Lindfors will join UAlbany for the 2008-09 season.

 

Lindfors averaged 17.6 and 9.5 rebounds last season and had 16 double-doubles.

 

Lindfors’ commitment will become official when he signs his national letter of intent during the early signing period from Nov. 14-21.

 

Lindfors chose UAlbany over offers from Illinois State, Eastern Kentucky, Wright State, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinios, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Florida Gulf Coast and DePaul, which may have wanted Lindfors to redshirt as a freshman.

 

This should leave UAlbany head coach Will Brown with two more scholarships to give for 2008-09. Forward Brent Wilson and guards Brian Lillis and Jon Iati are graduating after this season.

 

Mark must be unaware that Gilliam and Raffa are the other two who have verballed. Of course any one of them could reopen so I guess time will tell. Crazy as it sounds, once November hits and if these three gents sign the LOI, our staff can focus their recruiting efforts on the class of 09.

[haggyland]

This looks like another incredible recruit by Coach Brown. In the end I think Coach Brown will have as much to do with creating UAlbany exposure as any one person affiliated with the university.

 

Interest from the Big Ten and the Big East? Cool. I know to temper my enthusiasm on recruiting issues, but this looks like an amazing fit. Now, like Patch says, here's to hoping he can take charges like Brent.....

[slickwilly]

Here is another short article about Lindfors selecting Albany

 

Lindfors Is In The Fold

September 23, 2007

 

11:30 P.M. CST

 

Jake Lindfors, the 6'9 forward from Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison, IL, has verbally committed to the University of Albany. Lindfors chose Albany over scholarship offers from Illinois State, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Florida Gulf Coast. Both Lindfors and Mike Weinstein (Lindfors' AAU coach) indicated that all of these schools did an outstanding job of recruiting Lindfors.

 

What is a bit unusual about Lindfors' commitment is that he committed to Albany despite the fact that his most recent official campus visit was to Illinois State (he officially visited Albany just prior to that). In the end, however, the fact that Albany was in on Lindfors from the beginning, as they were one of the first schools to offer him a scholarship, ended up being a huge factor in his decision. That, and the fact that Albany has recently enjoyed huge success on the hardwood, as they have made the NCAA tournament the past two seasons, enabled them to close the deal.

 

While Lindfors will in all likelihood spend most of his time at the 4 spot in college, we actually see him as a combo 3/4 man with good offensive versatility. He has the ability to either post up and go to war inside, or face up and consistently knock down shots from beyond the arc.

 

Lindfors became an extremely hot recruiting commodity over the past few weeks and especially saw his stock soar after a most solid performance at the 17-Under National AAU Championships in Orlando with his 17-Under Rising Stars Gold AAU team. With Lindfors' commitment, he becomes the sixth member of the Rising Stars program to commit to play college basketball at either a D1 or D2 school.

 

http://www.ilprepbullseye.com/page46.html

[Patch]

From Hoopmasters....

 

 

 

 

 

September 24, 2007

Albany adds Midwestern forward...By Van Coleman van@hoopmasters.com

 

Will Brown and his Albany staff have dipped into the Midwest once again to nab a quality inside talent in Jake Lindfors...

 

According to a source close to the program, and confirmed by CSTV.com, 6-foot-9 210-pound Jake Lindfors from Elk Grove Village, IL Driscoll Catholic has decided to head east and will sign with Albany in November.

 

Lindfors really broke out this summer playing for the RisingStars quad this summer. He has ability to knock down three on face up, or roll to block and use his quick feet to score around the hoop. As he gets stronger he can become a dominate force for Albany down the road.

 

He chose Albany over interest from Illiois State, Western

[UAalum72]

In today's Gazette, after the Rising Stars Fall League game he informed other colleges involved that he was giving up his final recruiting trip to commit to Albany. His coach says he weighs about 225 now, he's not as thin as you would think, and he's going to fill out.

[Clickclack]

UAalum is right, he canceled his last recruiting trip to ISU and committed to Albany. We beat out a MVC school for a great kid. Granted, they aren't at the top of the confrence but they are a good team in a great confrence.

[Patch]

From everything I've read especially on all the Illinois sites, the people out there think he has a great upside and feel that UA stole one. One article stated he would probably be a four but could have the skill set to play the 3. I don't expect that to happen at UA but it does send us the message that Jake has excellent skills for a 6'10" kid.

 

His dad is 6'10" and played at Bradley and overseas in Europe. Jake has his whole Sr. year ahead of him to mature and he'll probably naturally put on another 15 or 20 lbs. He should only get better.

 

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From Rivals..........

 

Illinois center Jake Lindfors committed to Albany on Sunday night. Locals are high on the near 7-footer and call this pledge a major steal.

 

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From Chicagohoops.com

Brian Stinnette

September 25, 2007

 

I have got to give Chad O'Donnell from Albany his props for doing a tremendous job in recruiting the state of Illinois for the New York-based program. Fast-rising 6-10 Class of 2008 Driscoll star Jake Lindfors is nothing short of a recruiting steal for a program that has advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons. Albany's roster already boasts 6-6 former Chicago Morgan Park star Jimmy Covington. [+ Rob Moores is an Ill. guy]

[redbirds232]

great get check out illinoishsbasketball.com I like it better than chicagohoops.com...Anyway looks like you guys stole one from us here is an excert from it

 

Many programs come into to the Chicago-land area and recruit some are successful others are not. Albany has proven they can now come in and recruit the Chicago-land area as they received the verbal commitment from Driscoll Catholic star Jake Lindfors have two other Great Danes from the Chicago-land area Jimmy Covington(Morgan Park) and Rob Moores(York). Assistant Coach Chad O’Donnell has been the main recruiter for Chicago and is one of the reason Lindfors committed. “He is a class act guy I have never been this close with a coach we joke around all the time about weird stuff. He calls me all the time he is also flying out when ever he can with a pregnant I am the most recruited guy in his 4 years.”

[Clickclack]

Congrats to UA and Coach O'Donnell, he apparently deserve all the credit for bringing Jake here. I don't remember a recruit being hyped like this. At this point it's all hype but I love it.