NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon has announced a strong four-person recruiting class, consisting of Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, and Mason Klabo. The quartet of future Redbirds have signed Athletic Financial Aid Agreements (formerly known as National Letters of Intent) and will begin their collegiate careers starting in the 2025-26 season.

"We are absolutely thrilled about this four-man recruiting class," said Pedon. "All four of these young men fit our program at a high level. Collectively, this group will address some of our roster needs for the 2025-26 season and beyond. They are impressive young men that want to be a part of something special here at Illinois State University."

Allen, a 6-11 center from Bradley-Bourbonnais High School, who has a 247sports national composite ranking of 277, is the seventh-rated prospect in the state of Illinois, the top rated center in the state, and the 48th rated center nationally. He earned Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Class 4A All-State First-Team honors as a junior and was an Illinois Media All-State second team. He was also named the 2023-24 Kankakee Daily Journal Boys Basketball Player of the Year, is a two-time All-Area selection while earning a Chicago Sun-Times first-team All-Area nod.

"Early on, we identified Nick as a primary target, and we have felt all along that he was the best big man in the

state of Illinois in this year's recruiting class," said the Redbird head coach. "Nick is extremely versatile for his size and can affect the game at both ends of the floor. He can score the ball in a variety of ways and has a real knack for blocking shots on the defensive end. He is a perfect system fit for us and we can't wait to see him in a Redbird jersey."

As a junior he averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while also blocking 52 shots, and was an All-SouthWest Suburban Conference Red Division honoree. During his sophomore season he averaged 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, and three blocked shots per game, earning Daily Journal All-Area and All-SouthWest Suburban Conference Red division honors, helping the Boilermakers to a second consecutive conference title.

Ericksen, a 6-9 forward from Green Level High School in Cary, North Carolina, is a three-star prospect according to 247sports, and the 13th-rated prospect inside the state of North Carolina. He was a second-team All-State selection as a junior, and an honorable mention All-State selection by HighSchoolOT as a sophomore. He helped lead Green Level to a 29-2 record during his junior season, helping the Gators advance to the state quarterfinals. He saved his best for the state tournament, as he averaged 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during the Gators' postseason run.

"We began recruiting Issac this past summer and we were instantly enamored with his combination of high-level skill,

coupled with his 6'9" frame," said Pedon. "His ability to dribble, pass, and shoot at his size is rare, and we love what his future holds as a member of our basketball family. Isaac and his family have Midwest roots and loved the idea of Isaac being a Redbird. We are so excited to welcome Isaac and look forward to coaching him next year."

He averaged 18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during his junior season and has 1,325 career points and 594 rebounds during his prep career. His sophomore season he averaged 16.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, a season after putting up averages of 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists as a high school freshman.

Coleman, a 6-2 guard from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, was named the DuPage Valley Conference Player of the Year and to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team. He helped the Waubonsie Valley Warriors to a 27-3 overall record, winning the school's first IHSA regional title since 2019. He was named Third Team All-State by the IBCA and a Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State selection by the state media.

"Tyreek Coleman is a true gem," commented Pedon. "We have followed Tyreek for the past few years and have been able to witness his remarkable growth and development as a basketball player. He really emerged on the AAU circuit last spring and parlayed that into an extremely impressive summer. No player in the state of Illinois' 2025 recruiting class saw their stock soar like Tyreek this past year, and that really spoke to us. He will provide our program with a true combination of speed, skill and athleticism. He can score the ball and can also make plays for others on the perimeter. He is an impressive young man and we could not be more excited to welcome Tyreek and his family."

Also named the Beacon-News/Courier News Boys Basketball Player of the Year, he averaged 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game last season. He enters the year as the City/Suburban Hoops Report's No. 6 ranked prospect in the state of Illinois for the Class of 2025.

Klabo, a 6-1 guard from Fargo Davies High School, is a three-time First Team All-State honoree – including being the only unanimous selection to the team in 2024. He averaged 27.3 points per game during his junior season, breaking the school career record in the process, and is within reach of the all-time North Dakota scoring record. As a junior he set a single-game school record with 53 points, a record he previously broke earlier in the season with 47 points.

"Like our other signees, we feel that Mason is a perfect fit for our program," said Pedon. "He is a versatile guard with a mixture of size, skill, and athleticism. Through the recruiting process, we felt that Mason's ability to pass the ball was really undervalued. We knew from the very beginning that he could score the ball at a high level, but through our evaluations we learned that his ability to pass and make his teammates better were equally as impressive. Coupling those traits with his eye-catching athleticism really excites us for his future as a Redbird. He is a very mature young man that will represent our Redbird program with pride. We couldn't be more excited to welcome Mason and his family to the Redbird Basketball family."

A three-time unanimous all-conference honoree, Klabo averaged 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.1 steals while making 40 percent of his three-point tries as a sophomore. A year earlier he averaged 23 points and six rebounds per game as a freshman. As a sophomore he was named to the North Dakota High School Athletic Association (NDHSAA) Division 11A First Team All-State at quarterback.

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