Kentucky guard Alex Legion to pick between Illinois, Notre Dame

Kentucky cleared freshman guard Alex Legion to speak with Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber about the possibility of transfering here, and Legion will choose between Illinois and Notre Dame, a recruiting source said Thursday.

A final decision by Legion wasn't expected until early next week. According to sources, Illinois hoped to host Legion in a recruiting visit this weekend.

A Parade All-America from Inkster, Mich., Legion averaged 6.7 points in six games for the Wildcats before requesting a transfer. The 6-foot-4 guard is an athletic shooter who could make an immediate impact on an Illini offense searching for scoring.

But Legion wouldn't be eligible to compete for the Illini until sitting out one year. He can begin serving the year at the start of the second semester and be eligible by the second semester of next season, giving him 2 1/2 years of eligibility remaining.

By playing six games this season, Legion already lost the entire year of eligibility. He could sit out the rest of this season and all of next year, giving him three full years remaining, but it's likely that he wants to play as soon as possible.

Legion first signed with Michigan as a high school senior at Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, then asked for a release from the letter of intent after Michigan coach Tommy Amaker was fired last season. He eventually enrolled at Kentucky.

Legion's father, Rodney Sr., told the Detroit Free Press that he still hoped his son would attend Michigan. Previously, Notre Dame had been the only school granted permission to speak with Legion.

Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard, hired this fall after serving a short stint in the Kentucky basketball operations office, built a strong relationship with Legion, a source said. For a few days, it appeared Kentucky wouldn't release Legion to speak with Illinois.

A rivalry emerged after former Illini assistant Tracy Webster left abruptly in September for the same job at Kentucky, but Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, a former Illini assistant, made the decision to allow Legion to speak with his former employer.

John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more coverage, read Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com <http://www.sj-r.com> and www.pjstar.com <http://www.pjstar.com> .