Greek Big Man Ilias Theodorou Commits to Pacific
By Josh Horton
Feb 13, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; Pacific Tigers fans hold up signs during the second half of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alex G. Spanos Center. The Pacific Tigers defeated the Brigham Young Cougars 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Like the great Ron Burgandy once said, “Well that escalated quickly.”
In a course of six days, 2014 Power Forward Ilias Theorodou from St. Johns Northwest Military Academy – a prep school just outside of Milwaukee, Wisc. – announced he was going on an official visit to Pacific, took the visit, was offered by Ron Verlin and the Tigers while on his visitand finally committed to the Pacific. Those four steps of the recruiting process, which typically take weeks to properly complete, but Pacific expedited the process as the spring signing period approaches. Here are the tweets to visually represent this.
MT @EvanDaniels: Ilias Theorodou, of St. Johns NW Military Academy, will take an official to Pacific this weekend
— West Coast Convo (@WestCoastConvo) April 7, 2014
MT @TheRecruitScoop: Pacific offered 2014 PF Ilias Theorodou of St. John’s Northwest Military Academy (WI) during an official visit
— West Coast Convo (@WestCoastConvo) April 13, 2014
Pacific Landed a commit from 2014 PF (WI) Ilias Theorodou today. Story coming soon. #WCCHoops #PacificTigers #WCCRecruiting
— West Coast Convo (@WestCoastConvo) April 14, 2014
Theorodou is a native of Greece, and Athens was listed as his hometown on the St. Johns roster.
While at St. Johns, Theorodou played against some of the best talent in the country with the programs rigorous schedule it assembled.
Other than that, there is virtually nothing else on the 6’8” forward from Greece. With his size and known background, he could possibly be a diamond in the rough type of player for the Tigers. Not a lot of people knew a lot about Elias Harris before he came to Gonzaga, but as we know, that worked out alright.
Theorodou will join a relatively young frontcourt, where every player will have a chance to play significant minutes for the team in the upcoming future. At the power forward position in particular, Gabriel Aguirre is the frontrunner to start at the beginning of the season. Jacob Lampkin and Eric Thompson, along with Theorodou, will fight for minutes. Sami Elaraky is the only “true” center on the Tigers roster.
Theorodou becomes the Tigers seventh commitment of the season. Verlin and his staff was given the task of replacing seven seniors and a transfer, and they are one scholarship away from having a full roster once again.