Ryan: It depends on what situation Wes Lunt is looking to step into as he moves on from Oklahoma State. Does he want to walk in to a situation where the team is coming off a 2-10 record with a QB that is moving on after he graduates following this season? Or, does he want to walk in to a situation where the team is coming off a Sugar Bowl win over #4 Florida with a QB that appears poised to leave for the NFL draft after his upcoming junior season? Either way he goes, he is going to have to sit a year and then enter into a direct competition for the starting gig. At Illinois, he’ll go head to head with Reilly O’Toole and super recruit Aaron Bailey. At Louisville, he’ll face off with Will Gardner, who turned down Alabama to play for the Cardinals.

Most players want to play for a winner, and play for a school that gives them the best shot at the NFL. Arguably, no school has done a better job of placing NFL talent than Illinois. Since 2010, Illinois has had 16 players drafted into the league. Louisville, on the other hand, has had four. If it’s a winner Lunt is looking for then Louisville will probably give him the best shot immediately, but if he believes the wins and losses will result directly from him, then why not take a shot at Illinois and possibly become a legend in his home state in the process?

Jan 1, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt (11) prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Ricky: It would not be a bad thing if Wes Lunt decided to transfer to the Illinois Fighting Illini and there’s a good chance that could be the case. One of Lunt’s biggest needs is the school’s proximity to home and that is where Illinois wins. Yes, I know Illinois just recruited a quarterback out of Bolingbrook, Illinois, but the Lunt transfer could be good for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

If Lunt transferred to Illinois, head coach Tim Beckman could then redshirt Aaron Bailey for this upcoming season. Then, Lunt would have two years with the Illini (most likely would sit in 2013) and Bailey would be able to start as a RS Junior. That would then give Aaron Bailey three years to master the offensive system. Sitting and waiting isn’t all that bad. Look at what happened to Aaron Rodgers in the NFL.

Austin: If Lunt wants the chance to start and play as soon as he is able to, I think Illinois is a good fit. Bailey could learn and work on his talent another year, giving Lunt the chance to make some noise in the Big Ten. However, even as an avid Illini fan, I think that Louisville gives him a better chance to win games, as the conference is not nearly as tough as the Big Ten is. Lunt’s desire to be close to home is something I knew he had, but I was unaware that his desire was so large. Every article about him I have read says basically that his biggest factor in deciding where to play is about proximity to home. That is where Illinois comes in. If he chooses to play here, I think he could put up some good numbers, as well as find success in the orange and blue.

What do you think, Illini Nation? Should Wes Lunt choose Illinois or Louisville?

The Writing Illini staff includes lead editor Ricky Widmer along with staff writers, Austin Jabs and Ryan Kraemer.

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The Illini come into their first round game after ending the regular season on a very positive note. They finished the season with a 7-3 record in their last ten games and beat Minnesota twice in a three game series to end the regular season.

Apr 23, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; General view a baseball during batting practice prior to the San Diego Padres game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Golden Gophers come into the Big Ten Tournament with an overall record of 30-20 and a Big Ten Conference record of 13-8. The Golden Gophers are the 4th-seed in the tournament, but finished the season in a sour note. They only won four of their last ten games, but avoided a sweep in their season finale against the Fighting Illini.

Offensively, Minnesota has one of the lowest batting averages in the Big Ten (.258). Although, they have two players hitting over .300. These players are Kurt Schlangen and Andy Henkemeyer.

Both Schlangen and Henkemeyer are batting over .300 this season. Henkemeyer is arguably the best hitter on the team as he leads the team in hits (57), triples (tied with 3), RBIs (25), and slugging percentage (.419).

Here’s the pitching matching for Wednesday’s first round game:

• Illinois: Kevin Duchene (LHP, Fr., 8-1, 2.67 ERA)
• Minnesota: Tom Windle (LHP, Jr., 6-4, 2.05 ERA)

There is absolutely no reason why the Fighting Illini shouldn’t be able to beat Minnesota in the conference tournament.

Yes, the tournament is in Minnesota at Target Field, but Illinois just took two of three games from the Golden Gophers in Minnesota last weekend.

The two biggest players for the Fighting Illini will be Kevin Duchene and Justin Parr.

Duchene will start for Illinois and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year (first Illini since 1989). His eight wins ties him for the most wins in the Big Ten this season and is the most wins by an Illini freshman. Expect a big game from Duchene. He threw six innings in the game one win over Minnesota last weekend.

The other big player for the Illini will be Justin Parr. Not only does he own the nation’s second-longest hitting streak this season, but he is also the 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year (eighth Illini ever to win the award and first since 2007). Parr has had such a successful season that he is trying to become the 23rd Illinois player to hit .400 for a season.

The winner of this game will play the top seeded Indiana Hoosiers and the loser will play the loser between Nebraska/Michigan.

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Sep 03, 2011; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders lead the crowd in a cheer during the third quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Illini defeated the Red Wolves 33-15. Mandatory Credit: Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports

The Georgia recruit has received offers from the Charlotte 49ers, Cincinnati Bearcats, East Carolina Pirates, Georgia State Panthers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, South Florida Bulls, South Miss Golden Eagles, Syracuse Orange, Tennessee Volunteers, West Virginia Mountaineers, and Wisconsin Badgers.

According to 247 Sports, Wilson’s best skills are his athleticism, versatility, and ball skills. After watching his film from this past season, his #1 skill has to be his versatility.

Wilson can play running back, defensive back, or returner. He can also chuck the football down field. He also uses his athleticism to make very nice plays. At first, I thought he was just a big hitting DB, but upon watching more I saw that Thomas has the ability to use his athleticism to twist his body and make some nice interceptions.

The three-star recruit is currently ranked 73rd in the state of Georgia and 71st among athletes by 247Sports.

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For more recruiting news, check out Fansided150.com.