NERR: Putnam Science Academy post-graduate forward Joel Angus will attend Stony Brook University next year on a full EOP, or Educational Opportunity Program, scholarship according to PSA head coach Tom Espinosa.
Angus will also join the Stony Brook basketball team, giving head coach Steve Pikiell a tremendous walk-on.
Angus came to Putnam Science Academy after graduating from Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn.
The six-foot-six forward averaging over 10 points and six rebounds per game this year, helping PSA to arguably the best season in program history.
City of Basketball Love: When the perfect opportunity presents itself, it’s impossible to turn your back.
That’s what 2015 forward Michael Watkins realized, as he verbally committed to play for Penn State on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-8 forward believes that the opportunity the Nittany Lions presented was too good to pass up.
“Penn State is the right situation for me on and off the court,” Watkins said via text message. “The coaching staff fits my personality and the school allows me to the opportunity to play right away in the Big Ten, allowing me the opportunity to play on the biggest stage and be close to home.”
City of Basketball Love: Though many colleges are focusing their recruiting attention on the class of 2014 at this point with just weeks until the Class of 2013 arrives on campus, Drexel added a late addition to its incoming group on Wednesday.
Benedictine School (Va.) power forward Khris Lane verbally committed to the Dragons on Wednesday, giving Bruiser Flint another big young body on his roster.
“I can do a whole lot of different things,” Lane told CoBL about what he’s bringing to campus. “I’m a pretty good outside shooter, 15 feet out to the ’3′…I think I bring a lot of versatility–I can rebound, defend.”
Lane missed the second half of his senior season due to a bout of mono that caused him to miss a final in the fall semester–rendering him academically ineligible for the spring–but got to show off his skills in the April live period, playing with the Virginia Assault program.
Dayton Daily News: The Wright State men’s basketball team picked up another verbal commitment Monday when Iowa Western Community College announced 6-foot freshman guard Ryan Bowie had accepted a scholarship to play at Wright State.
Bowie, a native of Lewisville, Texas, averaged 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds and led the team in 3-point percentage (44.0). He scored 20 or more points five times.
Bowie played in 32 games for a that reached the final eight of the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. Four of his teammates have also moved on to Division I colleges: Creighton, South Dakota, Western Kentucky and Milwaukee.
Indy Star:Maurice Creek will play his final season of college basketball about a half-hour’s drive from where he grew up.
But that’s not the most important thing to the former Indiana University player. He’s happy to have an opportunity to play anywhere -- and probably a lot if he stays healthy.
Creek announced via Twitter today that he will transfer to George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He graduated from IU last month and will be eligible to play at George Washington next season, his fifth and final year.
"They basically want me to come in and mentor the young guys and score and facilitate as a senior,” said Creek, who is from Oxon Hill, Md., a suburb of Washington. “They've been watching me awhile. They know that I can do it."
Times Union: Former Bishop Maginn starTaran Buie has informed Siena of his intent to transfer there, but hasn’t been admitted yet, according to a source.
Buie, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, would have two years of eligibility left. It’s unclear whether he would have to sit out a season or might receive an NCAA hardship waiver for family reasons.
Siena would be Buie’s third school after sometimes troubled stints at Penn State and Hofstra. He served suspensions at both schools.
NBC Sports: Forward Vincent Garrettwas one of four players to announce his intention to transfer from Rutgers in the midst of the program’s tumultuous spring that included the firing of a head coach and the athletic director tendering his resignation.
On Tuesday it was announced that Garrett will transfer to Green Bay, with the school considering the possibility of applying for a hardship waiver that would make the 6-5 Garrett eligible immediately.
If the appeal is unsuccessful Garrett would have to sit out the 2013-14 season, using his one remaining season of eligibility in 2014-15. Garrett’s decision to transfer to Green Bay reunites the Chicago native with former high school teammates Keifer Sykes and Alfonzo McKinnie (Marshall HS).
“As soon as Keifer heard I was transferring he told Coach Wardle about me and when I visited Green Bay I really appreciated how honest and straight-forward coach was with me about everything,” Garrett said in a statement released by the school.
Baltimore Sun: Playing Division I basketball was the furthest thing from Tariq Owens’ mind when he was just a 5-foot-9 eighth-grade football player. But three years, 12 inches and a new sport changed his mindset dramatically.
Owens, now a 6-foot-9, 180-pound junior forward from Pallotti, found himself in the enviable position this spring of choosing between several DI scholarship offers. On Monday night, the Odenton resident selected Ohio University.
“It feels very good to have that out of the way and [be able to] focus on other things,” Owens said Tuesday. “When the process first started, I didn’t expect to get as much attention as I did. [But] it turned out for the best.”
Owens, who picked the Bobcats over offers from Cal State Northridge, Miami and Temple, didn’t start playing competitive basketball until his freshman year at Arundel High. He grew to 6-3 by the start of his sophomore year at Pallotti, before rapidly sprouting over the past year-and-a-half.
Big Apple Buckets: After spending several weeks out on the open market, former St. Francis (PA) guard Umar Shannonhas committed to play for Tom Moore at Quinnipiac, reports Bill Paxton of the Connecticut Post. The 5’11″ combo guard had also seriously considered Fairfield and other MAAC/CAA teams.
In his junior season, Shannon had a somewhat underwhelming campaign coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL in November of 2011. The guard scored double-digit points in nine out of ten games early in the 2012-13 season, but only averaged 7.1 points per game in his final ten contests.
The inconsistency was partially attributed to Shannon’s recovery – according to head coach Rob Krimmel, Shannon struggled at times getting over the mental hurdle of fully trusting his knee in games. Despite the “down” season, Shannon still led the Red Flash in points (11.2), minutes (32.0), and assists (3.3) per game. An extra offseason may work wonders for his surgically repaired knee.
Because Shannon earned his undergraduate degree at St. Francis this May, NCAA transfer rules allow the guard to play right away. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Go Hofstra: Hofstra University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Joe Mihalich announced today the addition of Zeke Upshaw and Dion Nesmith to the 2013-14 Pride men’s basketball roster.
“Zeke and Dion will be very important pieces on our team in 2013-14 and will have a chance to make significant contributions to the squad,” commented Mihalich. “Both are quality student-athletes who will be great representatives of Hofstra University and our basketball program. I look forward to coaching both of them and watching them develop on and off the court.”
Both student-athletes are transfers with Nesmith joining Hofstra from Monmouth and Upshaw coming to Hempstead via Illinois State.
Upshaw and Nesmith will be eligible immediately and have one year of eligibility remaining after graduating from their respective institutions and will begin work on their graduate degrees.
