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Illinois, Illinois State European Tour Notes; Wichita State Lands Transfer

 width=>>Illini Win on European Trip; Redbirds Lose

The Fighting Illini opened their European tour with a 68-63 victory Tuesday night over Waregem, a Belgian Division II professional team. Illinois took the court one day after traveling through the night and found itself in a tight game from the outset.

Illinois went on a key 14-3 run late in the third quarter to take a 53-42 lead.

Sophomore Leron Black had a double-double, registering game highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds. Malcolm Hill added 15 points, while Mike Thorne just missed out on a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Illinois is back in action today, traveling to Rotterdam to take on the Dutch National Team in the second contest of its four-game tour. Game time is 7 p.m. in the Netherlands (Noon Central).

 width=The Madrid All-Stars made two free throws in the final 25 seconds while also holding Illinois State scoreless, and ISU fell, 89-87, in the Redbirds' second of four exhibition games Tuesday night. ISU is now 1-1 on its trip to Spain.

With Illinois State leading, 37-20, at the 8:05 mark in the first half, Quintin Brewer threw down a powerful fast-break dunk that broke the rim, forcing a 30-minute delay as a new basket was wheeled in and set up. Once play resumed, the Madrid All-Stars – made up of first and second-team Spanish professionals – outscored ISU, 21-15, to pull within 52-41 at halftime.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell led five Redbirds in double-figures with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Banyard also scored 17 points and added five boards.

Illinois State will now travel to Barcelona, Spain, to play the Barcelona Basketball Academy Thursday, followed by a game against the AEC Colleblanc Basketball Club in Barcelona Saturday.

 width=>>Wichita State Lands Transfer, Breaks Minor NCAA Rule

Wichita State found itself the beneficiary of a late-arriving transfer commitment this summer. But it's come at a slight cost to the program. Former Texas A&M forward Peyton Allen, who didn't leave the Aggies' program until the unusual delayed date of July 14, committed to Wichita State on Aug. 1.

That commitment came the day after Allen and his parents met in Wichita with the Shockers' coaching staff -- and that meeting brought about a Level 3 violation, sources told CBSSports.com on Monday.

The violation, which Wichita State has already reported to the Missouri Valley and the NCAA, is a minor one. It was self-reported after Wichita State took Allen and his parents out to dinner the night of July 31, which is technically the last day of college basketball's dead period for official recruiting visits. Allen was on an official visit, and while programs can technically pay for the flights and hotel stay of a prospect and their family the day before the live period kicks in, no on-campus visits or meals can be bought on behalf of the program.

Wichita State did both of those things.

That triggered its self-report and self-sanctions, which include a reduction of two recruiting days and a loss of an on-campus visit from any other prospects for the upcoming year, meaning Wichita State now has 11 official visits remaining (down from 12). The NCAA has verbally agreed with the self-imposed sanctions it, and a source said no further punishment toward the school is anticipated.

Allen, who will sit the upcoming season as a redshirt transfer, is seen as a successor to Wichita State rising senior shooting guard Ron Baker. Allen was recruited out of high school by Wichita State in addition to A&M, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. In recent weeks, following his jettison from A&M, Northwestern, Illinois State and Butler were some of the schools also pursuing Allen.

Allen played in 32 games last season and averaged 4.5 points in 14.1 minutes.

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