OCCAC: Sophomore guard Charles Oliver has inked a national letter of intent to join Robert Morris University for the 2013-14 season. The First Team All-American and Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) Player of the Year will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Oliver was Lakeland's leading scorer this season and helped guide the Lakers to their first conference title in 18 years. The standout guard poured in a career-high 36 points in the regular-season finale at Sinclair, a game which clinched the outright OCCAC title for Lakeland. He averaged 19.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Lakers, who finish 24-6 overall and 11-1 in the OCCAC.
Head Coach Terry Bowe understands how much of an impact Oliver had on the team.
"Charles is our third straight First Team All-American and the first to come from the guard position," Bowe said. "His ability to score from the perimeter ranks among some of the greats who have come through this program and that I have seen throughout junior college in the last 15 years."
4 Guys in Blazers: It appears new Siena head coach Jimmy Patsos has filled his final roster spot after receiving a verbal commitment from Mike Wolfe, a 6-9, 210 lb. forward from North Bethesda, Maryland. Wolfe, who recently withdrew his verbal commitment to Loyola, becomes the fourth player to follow Patsos to Loudonville after committing to play for the Greyhounds.
Wolfe who visited Siena last week, reportedly gave his verbal commitment and is waiting to receive his letter of intent on Thursday as reported by Mark Singelais of the Times Union.
Former Loyola recruits, guards Maurice White and Marquis Wright along with forward Lavon Long have already confirmed their plans to play for the Saints. The incoming quartet from Maryland will be joined by local standout, Javion Ogunyemi to form the freshmen class at Siena.
Wolfe averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds for Georgetown Prep this past season. He was also an AAU teammate with Long with Mid Atlantic Select.
Green Bay Phoenix: Toronto native Tevin Findlay has officially joined the Green Bay men’s basketball recruiting Class of 2013, as the versatile combo guard signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Phoenix on Saturday afternoon, head coach Brian Wardle announced on Sunday.
Findlay is the third signee in the Green Bay recruiting class that will be joining the program next fall. He joins high school teammates Turner Botz and Kenneth Lowe of Little Chute High School, who signed NLIs in the early signing period in November.
“It is a great situation for me. When I went on my visit, I really felt that I was so at home and so comfortable with all of the guys and the coaches. They embraced me from the start. I could really see myself fitting in right away and helping out right away, and that is what you want to do on the college level.
“One really exciting thing about playing for Coach Wardle is his style of play. He likes to get up and down and talks about pushing the ball, and as a guard that just makes your eyes light up. The coaches are really great guys who really know the game, and as a young player that is what you need to be around day in and day out if you want to succeed, grow and reach your full potential.”
Go Black Bears: University of Maine men's basketball head coach Ted Woodward has announced that Marko Pirovic, a 6'7" forward from Bolton, Ontario, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Maine in the fall and play for the men's basketball team.
"We are very excited to have Marko join our basketball program," said Woodward. "Marko is a tremendous player and a great student! He has played on the elite level of Canada basketball including the Canadian Junior National team, and representing Team Canada in World competitions. He is a highly versatile player with a variety of skills on both ends of the court, shoots it, and rebounds at a strong level. He has the skills to cause mismatches on the offensive end of the floor, and the size to provide a defensive and rebounding presence across the frontline. We look forward to his addition to our program in the fall!"
Pirovic was a member of the Canadian Junior National team that finished third in the FIBA Americas Tournament last summer in Brazil. He has been a representative for Team Canada for the FIBA 3-on-3 World Cup in both 2011 (finished seventh in the world), and 2012 (finished fourth in the world) where he was the tournament's second leading scorer. Pirovic was a member of Team Ontario at both the 15U and 17U level, winning the National Championship in 2009 and 2011. He averaged a double-double and broke the finals record for rebounds in a game with 26. He recently averaged 21.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg playing for Thornlea Prep this past season.
Go Hofstra: Hofstra University Head Coach Joe Mihalich announced today that Eliel Gonzalez has signed a national letter of intent with the University. He will begin his academic and athletic career with Hofstra in the fall of 2013.
“Eliel is a very dynamic guard who will thrive in our system,” commented Mihalich. “Our fans will love watching him play and we can’t wait to coach him. We are excited about our recruiting efforts so far and look forward to developing a roster that will compete for a conference championship and beyond.”
Gonzalez, who hails from Cayey, Puerto Rico, currently attends Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, FL, which also happens to be the alma mater of former Hofstra Basketball player Aurimas Kieza (2002-06). Gonzalez was named to the 2012-13 All-Space Coast first team and was also selected to play in the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic International game.
Chicago Hoops: The Division I players are continuing to come off the board in the class of 2013 late in the game. St. Rita guard Scott Kingsley is the next in a long line of division one players to make their commitment in this senior class.
On Sunday Kingsley committed to Fairleigh Dickinson less than a day after returning from his visit. He told us why they were his choice.
“I chose them because Coach Herenda has won on every level he has coached and I want to be a part of the rebuilding process to get them back to the NCAA Tourney.”
Kingsley will be a guy that should contribute as a freshman.
Heading into this past season as a junior, Mathias already had the attention of many NCAA Division I basketball programs.
For months, Mathias talked to many college coaches and visited schools as the recruiting process heated up.
However, after playing in an AAU tournament this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind., Mathias decided to continue his basketball career at Purdue University.
Mathias accepted a scholarship from Purdue University this weekend, becoming the first member of the Boilermakers' 2014 recruiting class. He made an official visit to Purdue in April when he told Purdue coach Matt Painter he hoped to make a decision before July.
Philly.com: Earlier this week, La Salle announced that sophomore guard D.J. Peterson was to transfer so that he could be closer to his family.
Peterson has changed his mind, and now will stay with the Explorers.
"D.J. is close to his family and has missed them during his long absences from home," La Salle coach Dr. John Giannini said. "He also is close to his La Salle teammates. After deciding to transfer, he spoke with his parents and teammates and has since decided to stay at La Salle."
Giannini added that the Burnsville, Minn., native's decision "is strictly personal and not basketball-related."
By Joe Click
