Verbals for NCAA D1

There has been a lot of hype for the Canadian Class of 2010. With so many developing their games at prep schools south of the border, the pressure is on to see what kind of product will emerge at the next level. The fall season always brings its share of NCAA Division 1 verbal commitments for the Early Signing Period and so far this year is no different. Previously mentioned were the commitments from Manny Sahota (Cornell) and Tristan Thompson (Texas), but there are more that have become official since August.

Dwight Powell (Toronto, ON/IMG Academy) made his decision over the weekend, committing to Pac-10 academic giant Stanford over Harvard and Georgia Tech. The 6’10” Grassroots Canada star enjoyed a big rise in stock after an impressive (and rigorous) AAU and Camp schedule this past year, showing off his versatility as a big man that can run the floor, hit mid-range jumpers with consistency, and get above the rim for blocks and rebounds.

The Iowa State Cyclones got a verbal commitment from 6’6” forward Melvin Ejim (Brampton, ON/Brewster) in late August and will be getting an ultra-athletic combo forward option with a strong build and the ability to finish above the rim. Cyclones’ assistant TJ Otzelberger was seen observing Melvin at the Caribana Classic in late July. Ejim had Boston College, George Washington, and Butler among his favourites before his decision.

Jabs Newby (Brampton, ON/Mountain State) is an athletic point guard that loves the open court where he can get out and run and get others motivated as a leader. He will do so next year for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels after eliminating Duquesne, Ohio, Virginia Commonwealth, Akron, and New Mexico State from his list of schools.

Riley Barker (Surrey, BC/White Rock Christian) followed up an impressive showing for Team BC at the Canada Summer Games in August with a commitment to the University of Portland Pilots of the West Coast Conference. Gaining weight and considerable strength over the past year has really helped this 6’9” centre’s ability to establish position in the block and finish, while his ability to block shots and rebound remain strong.

Former Lethbridge Collegiate and Team Alberta centre James Johnson rode an incredible rise in stock after the high school season that made him a wanted Top 100 prospect in the US for his class. This 6’9” athletic post would later visit the University of Virginia of the ACC and commit shortly thereafter.

Not to be outdone for his own onslaught of the AAU scene this past year is Boston College commit Brady Heslip (Burlington, ON/New Hampton Prep). After an April verbal commitment to the University of Guelph, Heslip made one last run through with Toronto-based powerhouse Grassroots Canada to see if any late Division 1 schools were looking for an incredible outside shooter with great passing instincts. It took him just one tournament to become a hot commodity that extended throughout the summer. Since he didn’t complete the SAT, he could not join the Eagles right away, but expects to join his new club in January.

A name from the past that many may have forgotten about is Jordan Bachynski, a mammoth 7’2” 245-pound centre from Calgary. Now entering his second (and last) year of a Mormon Mission in Fort Lauderdale, Division 1 coaches were unable to see him in action or contact him due to Clearinghouse rules, but that didn’t keep numerous high-major Division 1 schools from analyzing old game tapes and recruiting him through his family. The athletic lefty verballed to Arizona State of the Pac-10 Conference over UConn and Brigham Young last month and will have all four years of eligibility.

Still weighing their options

After leading the Canadian National Junior Team in New Zealand at the World Championships and dominating the AAU schedule for Grassroots Canada, exciting 6’2” combo guard Cory Joseph (Ajax, ON/Findlay Prep) made quite the impression this year. With seemingly every top D1 program inquiring, he has inched closer to a decision recently by narrowing down his list of schools to seven – Texas, UConn, Villanova, Florida, Mississippi State, UNLV, and Minnesota. After already visiting Texas and UConn, the next two weekends will occupy official visits to Villanova and Minnesota, respectively.

Laurent Rivard (Montreal, QC/Northfield-Mount Hermon Prep) is another National Junior Team player dealing with numerous options south of the border. The strong 6’5” wing with a great shooting touch has made a number of visits to other strong academic institutions in the US that double as Division 1 programs - Columbia, Yale, Bucknell, Northeastern, Vermont, Brown, Holy Cross, and Harvard. However, bigger schools are taking serious interest lately after checking out Rivard’s workouts with his Massachusetts-based prep school, Northfield-Mount Hermon. He visited Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving weekend and has reportedly drawn further interest from Notre Dame and George Washington.

A number of top Division 1 programs made their way to check out the intriguing potential of 6’10” 290-pound centre Maurice Walker (Toronto, ON/Brewster Academy) in recent months. Offers have come from Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Marquette, and Seton Hall so far. Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion scouted Walker at this summer’s NCAA-sanctioned Caribana Classic in Toronto and will be part of his welcoming committee when he comes to campus for an official visit scheduled for this weekend.

After completing two campus visits in as many weeks, Marvell Waithe (Toronto, ON) is now ready to decide between Arkansas and Rutgers for his services starting in 2010-11. Entering his sophomore year, the 6’9” small forward has needed to be patient in his quest to become a Division 1 player after three straight years (2006-2008) of being ruled ineligible through the Clearinghouse that included verbal commitments to Loyola-Chicago and Rutgers. However, he has found solace with Tallahassee Junior College in Florida as an elite JuCo player with considerable upside and will soon dawn the jersey of a Division 1 team.

While the prep school exodus of Canadian talent has grabbed a lot of attention recently, another annual topic of interest is the decision to play for U.S. junior colleges. Dominated by commitments from Greater Toronto Area (GTA) players once again, here are the new Canadian additions to various JuCo rosters.

New Canadian NJCAA Commitments

1. Jerome Brown 6'3" SG, (Toronto, ON/Eastern Commerce) - Panola (TX)
2. Josh Ogden 5'10" PG, (Toronto, ON/Father Henry Carr) - Lake Region State (ND)
3. Kendell Hosten 5'10" PG, (Toronto, ON/Christian Life Center Prep) - Meridian (MS)
4. Nikola Kovac 6'9" C, (Toronto, ON/Georges Vanier) - Casper (WY)
5. Juevol Myles 6'0" PG. (Ajax, ON/Pickering) - Tallahassee (FL)
6. Boyd Vassell 5'10" SG, (Kitchener, ON/Eastwood) - Iowa Central
7. Tristan Barrett 5'11" SG, (Mississauga, ON/Ascension of Our Lord) - Illinois Central
8. Ty Nurse 6'1" PG, (Vancouver, BC/NEDA) - Midland (TX)
9. Travis Stromness 6'4" PF, (Fort Frances, ON/Fort Frances) - Rainy River (MN)
10. Chadrack Lufile 6'8" PF, (Burlington, ON/Assumption) - Chipola (FL)
11. Mitchell Wiggins Jr. 6'6" PF, (Thornhill, ON/Vaughan) - Hillsborough (FL)
12. William Caesar 6'2" SG, (Markham, ON/New Creations Prep) - Rend Lake (IL)
13. Justin Alliman 6'1" SG, (Mississauga, ON/TL Kennedy) - Broome (NY)
14. Curtis Trotter 6'6" PF, (Toronto, ON/TAPS via Father Henry Carr) - Georgia Perimeter
15. Alex Arthur 6'4" SF, (Toronto, ON/West Hill) - Daytona State (FL)
16. Carlyle Francis 6'2" SG, (Toronto, ON/TAPS via Emery) - Tallahassee (FL)
17. *DJ Wright 6'7" PF, (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/transfer Salt Lake JuCo) - Mount San Jacinto (CA)
18. *Michael Luby 6'11" C, (Kenora, ON/transfer Salt Lake JuCo) - Southeastern (IA)
19. *Jermel Kennedy 6'5" PF, (Mississauga, ON/transfer Iowa Central JuCo) - Volunteer State (TN)
20. *Isaac Oppong 5'11" PG, (Toronto, ON/transfer Clinton JuCo) - USC-Salkehatchie (SC)
21. *Petar Milasinovic 6'8" PF, (Mississauga, ON/transfer Blinn JuCo) - Lamar (CO)
22. *Sean Monplaisir 6'0" PG, (Toronto, ON/transfer Lake Land JuCo) - Globe (NY)

* JuCo-to-JuCo transfer

For more information on the HoopStars Canada Recruiting Service, email Barry Hayes.