Nov. 11, 2010

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern head men's basketball coach Bill Carmody has announced the signing of guards Tre Demps (San Antonio, Texas/Ronald Reagan) and Dave Sobolewski (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) and forward Mike Turner (Chicago, Ill./University of Chicago Laboratory High School) to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats for the 2011-12 season.

"We are excited to welcome Dave, Tre and Mike to our basketball family," Carmody said. "All three young men are stellar students and we feel like we hit a home run in addressing specific positional needs on the court. With the loss of a four-year starter at the guard slot in Michael Thompson, we are thrilled that we were able to add two lead guards who will help us right away. Additionally, we are excited to add size and athleticism to our frontcourt."

Demps, a 6-foot-2 guard, hails from basketball bloodlines as his father, Dell, played three seasons in the NBA and is currently the general manager of the New Orleans Hornets. Tre averaged 19.2 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds per game as a junior while earning first-team all-district honors. He saw his stock rise over the summer thanks to his stellar play while competing for Pump N Run and was named one of the top players at the LeBron James Skills Academy by ESPN's Jay Bilas.

"Tre is a consummate competitor and is physically and mentally capable of hitting the ground running on day one," said Carmody. "He is excellent at running a team, but he also has an exceptional ability to score in a variety of ways. He is a big-time shooter and will add a nice combination of size and speed to our backcourt."

Sobolewski, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game as a junior in guiding Benet Academy to a 26-4 record as well as regional and sectional championships. For his efforts, he was recognized as the player of the year by the East Suburban Catholic Conference as well as the Naperville Sun. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association tabbed Sobolewski a second-team all-state selection while the Chicago Tribune honored him as a third-team all-state pick.

"Dave is a natural leader who exemplifies all the qualities we need our guards to have," Carmody said. "He's tough, he's smart, he's a winner and he makes shots. He is definitely not afraid to tell guys where to go on the floor and guys love playing with him. We expect him to make an immediate impact for us next year."

Turner, a 6-foot-8 forward, provides the Wildcats with yet another recruit from the Chicagoland area. He possesses a great deal of athleticism and averaged 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game during his junior season to earn first-team all-conference honors. His efforts helped lead University of Chicago Laboratory High to the first regional championship in school history and has become the school's first individual to earn a basketball scholarship from a Big Ten university.

"Mike is a very athletic forward who continues to add new dimensions to his game," said Carmody. "He jumps as well as anyone we have and he has a nice shooting touch. As he continues to develop his body, he'll be able to score both inside and out, while helping us improve our interior defense and rebounding."

Northwestern opens its 2010-11 regular season Friday when it travels to Northern Illinois. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

Complete bios on the three signees follow.

Tre Demps
6-2 • 195 • Guard
San Antonio, Texas/Ronald Reagan

High School: Three-year letterwinner ... Team captain ... Averaged 19.2 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds per game as a junior while guiding the Rattlers to a 23-11 record ... First-team all-district the last two years and Super City team selection junior year ... Scored 31 points against Lee and Pflugerville ... Posted averages of 13.3 points, 2 assists and 4 rebounds per game as a sophomore ... Competed freshman year at Concord (Calif.) High ... Played AAU for Pump N Run and Lakeshow ... National Honor Society member ... Two-time All-Academic team honoree ... High school coach is Jimmy Littleton.

Personal: Born Delano Jerome Demps ... Son of Dell Demps and Serene Wilson ... Father played in the NBA for three seasons and is currently the general manager of the New Orleans Hornets ... Anticipated major is journalism.

Dave Sobolewski
6-1 • 185 • Guard
Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy

High School: Three-year letterwinner ... Team captain ... Named Player of the Year of East Suburban Catholic Conference and Naperville Sun as a junior after averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game ... Helped guide Benet to a 26-4 record and regional and sectional titles ... Averaged 29 points per game in five postseason contests ... Second-team all-state selection of Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and third-team pick of Chicago Tribune ... All-area honoree of ESPNChicago.com, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald and Life Newspaper ... Posted averages of 16.7 points, 5.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore ... Scored school-record 41 points as a sophomore vs. Notre Dame and vs. Downers Grove South in the regional championship game ... Competed for Illinois Wolves AAU team for three years ... Honor roll student ... National Honor Society member ... Foreign National Honor Society member ... High school coach is Gene Heidkamp.

Personal: Born David Michael Sobolewski ... Son of Ken and Mary Beth Sobolewski ... Anticipated major is economics.

Mike Turner
6-8 • 195 • Forward
Chicago, Ill./University of Chicago Laboratory High School

High School: Three-year letterwinner ... Team captain ... Averaged 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game while shooting a conference-best 49.4 percent as a junior ... First-team Independent School League all-conference selection ... Ranked No. 24 college basketball prospect in the state of Illinois by ChicagoHoops.com ... Helped guide the Maroons to conference championships as a sophomore and junior and the first regional title in school history junior year ... Earned all-tournament team honors at Midway Classic and SIU Carbondale Holiday tournaments ... Second-team all-conference pick sophomore year ... Competed for Mac Irvin Fire and Mean Street-Newell AAU teams ... Recognized by National Society of High School Scholars and invited to participate in National Young Leaders Conference ... High school coach is Troy Caldwell.

Personal: Born Michael Paul Turner ... Son of Karen Turner ... First player in school history to earn a basketball scholarship from a Big Ten Conference school ... Anticipated major is economics or engineering.

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