CHAMPAIGN - The Eric Gordon recruiting fiasco has not deterred Illinois from locking up early verbal commitments from basketball recruiting targets.

This time, however, the commitments have proven to be genuine.

Four players signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday as the NCAA's fall signing period began, giving coach Bruce Weber his best recruiting class at a time when he - and Illini fans - desperately needed a burst of hope for the future.

Last season was one of the most difficult in Illini basketball history. On the court, the team suffered through a 16-19 season. The agony was made worse when Illinois had to watch heralded recruit Eric Gordon play for Indiana after reversing his long standing verbal commitment to attend Illinois.

Weber's recruiting needed a major boost and got it last October when three in-state guards committed as juniors. And when a forward from Missouri climbed on board, Weber's class was complete. All that was needed was a lengthy wait and faith that the players would be true to their word.

On Wednesday, they were.

"It's a big day for us," Weber said. "These are kids who are excited about coming here and they have continued to keep that excitement. We're excited.

"Any time you get a good class, it helps. We needed a positive step. This group and the one coming behind it, we feel good about. It's a bright future for our program. Everyone has to feel good about it."

The four new Illini players, who will join the program next summer, are:

n D.J. Richardson, a 6-foot-3 guard from Peoria, who is spending his senior year attending Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev. Richardson was the No. 2 scorer at Nike Peach Jam last summer, averaging more than 21 points a game.

"He has really raised his level of play over the last six months," Weber said. "He's very explosive, quick to the basket, and he has improved his shooting. The one thing I have told him is that I like to coach tough kids and he brings that toughness."

n Brandon Paul, 6-3 guard from Warren Township in Gurnee. He averaged 20 points and six rebounds as a junior and played for the Team NLP AAU program coached by former Chicago Bull Dickey Simpkins.

"He can jump, he has length and he has that kind of NBA athleticism," Weber said. "The impressive thing is that at the NBA Player Development Camp this summer, his team won the championship. At the (King James Classic), his team won. And at the Nike Peach Jam, he teamed with D.J. Richardson and had success."

n Joseph Bertrand, who in the past few months has grown from 6-4 to 6-5 and is still growing. The guard from Sterling averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a junior. He had 38 points in a sectional semifinal win over Burlington Central and is the reigning IHSA slam dunk champion in Class 3-A.

Weber said he didn't know if he would take three guards. But Richardson and Paul, who committed last Oct. 11, convinced Weber to reconsider when they told him they wanted to play with Bertrand and could envision a three-guard nucleus similar to the trio of Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head that led Illinois to the 2005 national championship game.

Within 24 hours of their plea, Bertrand committed.

"Joseph has a lot of natural athletic ability," Weber said. "He was an elite tennis player in middle school. He was a gymnast when he was young. His greatest attribute is passing and his feel for the game."

n Tyler Griffey, a 6-9, 220-pound forward from Lafayette High School in suburban St. Louis. Griffey was recruited heavily by a number of schools, including in-state Missouri, but picked the Illini. He was selected for the United States team for Adidas Nations, traveling to Africa, France and around the country this past summer.

"He is like an international forward, a face-up forward who can shoot the ball and pass the ball," Weber said. "His body has developed. He has gotten bigger and stronger."

Weber said he is 90 to 95 percent certain no late signees will join the class. "We're always listening and paying attention because you never know what can happen," Weber said. "But right now we're probably going to stay with the group we have."

The early commitment philosophy worked with this class and Weber hopes it does again next year. He already has verbal commitments from three highly rated players - 6-6 Jereme Richmond of Waukegan, 6-3 Crandall Head (brother of former Illini Luther Head) and 6-10 Meyers Leonard of Robinson.

Wednesday's class has generally been ranked among the top 15 in the country. Next year's class is talked about as a top five group.

mtupper@herald-review.com|421-7983