BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CONNECTICUT
April 28, 2008
COMMITMENT ALERT: Ater Majok, 6'10 F from Australia via Sudan
Projected 2008-2009 Roster:
Seniors: AJ Price (G), Jeff Adrien (F), Craig Austrie (G).
Juniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C), Hasheem Thabeet (C)
Sophomores: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Freshmen: Nate Miles (G/F), Kemba Walker (PG), Scottie Haralson (SG), Ater Majok (F)
2009 Commitments: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs (F)
One day after Hasheem Thabeet announced he would resist the urge to test the NBA Draft waters, more good news comes to the Connecticut basketball program with Ater Majok committing to UConn. Majok is a Husky (Hartford Courant) after officially visiting the campus recently.
Read More...Click Below!
Ater Majok, a 6'10 skilled forward, living in Australia after coming from the Sudan, has committed to the Connecticut Huskies. Majok has been the top target of Jim Calhoun and his staff for several months and their efforts were rewarded when Majok made a verbal commitment today. Majok is expected to sign his letter of intent by the end of the week.
Majok is the third player to commit this spring to the Husky program, joining Chukwuma Okwandu and Scottie Harralson. With Kemba Walker already signed from the fall recruiting period and Nate Miles still in the picture, the Huskies are currently one over the NCAA scholarship limit of 13 if everyone enrolls and is eligible. Of course, the Nate Miles situation is far from clear at this point in time.
Already this spring, Curtis Kelly and Doug Wiggins have left the program to make room for the newcomers.
Connecticut assistant Andre LaFleur was instrumental in providing the in with Majok that Connecticut needed. LaFleur has known Majok's guardian and coach in Australia, Edward Smith for years as they have worked together on basketball programs in the land Down Under. Majok wil bring his skilled and versatile game to Storrs next season and should be a perfect compliment to the frontline of Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson on a team with very high expectations.
Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu had a long journey coming to the United States by way of Nigeria and trying to reach the Division 1-A ranks to help him make a living playing basketball. Originally headed to Arizona, visa problems forced that plan to be on hold and Okwandu has been at a couple junior colleges the last few years, playing 12 games this past season at Harcum before questions about his letter of intent forced him out of the line-up for the rest of the season. In those 12 games, Okwandu averaged about 7 points per game and 8 rebounds a contest while shooting 57% from the field.
The plus side to Okwandu, besides being 7'1, is he will have three years of eligibility left when he arrives at UConn next fall. Okwandu recently visited the campus in Storrs and made an oral commitment earlier this month. West Virginia and Villanova, among others, were considered at the end as well.
Also on hand for Okwandu's visit was Scottie Haralson who committed to UConn verbally at the end of January. On the first day of the spring signing period, the Huskies recieved the signed letter of intent from Harralson.
Around the holidays, UConn headed to Florida to play UCF and also to do some recruiting. One player that caught their eye was Provine High School's Haralson, who put together four high-scoring outings at the talent-laden Amare Stoudemire Invitational Classic in Florida. The sharp-shooting 6'4 guard is averaged over 22 pts/game for coach Luther Riley.
Haralson will definitely join NYC Rice point guard Kemba Walker in the 2008 UConn class, which also looks to be adding Okwandu and now Majok. Things are still up in the air at this point on Nate Miles. Miles, a 6'7 swingman from Toledo, Ohio, is awaiting word from the NCAA Claringhouse. He had hoped to enroll at UConn for the previous semester, which began in January. Miles has obtained a diploma from The Patterson Schools (Lenoir, N.C.) and has received a qualifying score on the ACT. But he has also attended six high schools in the last five years and a preliminary decision from the NCAA was not in his favor. Also, UConn would have to accept him as a student as well and they will look to make his case for Fall entry.
Already this spring, Doug Wiggins has left the program and the speculation around Curtis Kelly ended last week when he announced he would transfer. If Miles enrolls and Kelly moving on, that leaves a full roster of 13 with Thabeet returning. Now adding Majok, the Huskies could be one over thge limit...but, you never know what will happen next...
Connecticut will also look to replace three seniors with recruiting for the 2009 class and got off to an extremely early start when they secured commitments from New England prep school standouts Alex Oriakhi (C) and Jamal Coombs (F) in what seemed like a generation ago. You can be sure that elite targets in the class of 2009 will be seeing if the UConn staff is on their trail this spring.
Read more!
COMMITMENT ALERT: Ater Majok, 6'10 F from Australia via Sudan
Projected 2008-2009 Roster:
Seniors: AJ Price (G), Jeff Adrien (F), Craig Austrie (G).
Juniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C), Hasheem Thabeet (C)
Sophomores: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Freshmen: Nate Miles (G/F), Kemba Walker (PG), Scottie Haralson (SG), Ater Majok (F)
2009 Commitments: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs (F)
One day after Hasheem Thabeet announced he would resist the urge to test the NBA Draft waters, more good news comes to the Connecticut basketball program with Ater Majok committing to UConn. Majok is a Husky (Hartford Courant) after officially visiting the campus recently.
Read More...Click Below!
Ater Majok, a 6'10 skilled forward, living in Australia after coming from the Sudan, has committed to the Connecticut Huskies. Majok has been the top target of Jim Calhoun and his staff for several months and their efforts were rewarded when Majok made a verbal commitment today. Majok is expected to sign his letter of intent by the end of the week.
Majok is the third player to commit this spring to the Husky program, joining Chukwuma Okwandu and Scottie Harralson. With Kemba Walker already signed from the fall recruiting period and Nate Miles still in the picture, the Huskies are currently one over the NCAA scholarship limit of 13 if everyone enrolls and is eligible. Of course, the Nate Miles situation is far from clear at this point in time.
Already this spring, Curtis Kelly and Doug Wiggins have left the program to make room for the newcomers.
Connecticut assistant Andre LaFleur was instrumental in providing the in with Majok that Connecticut needed. LaFleur has known Majok's guardian and coach in Australia, Edward Smith for years as they have worked together on basketball programs in the land Down Under. Majok wil bring his skilled and versatile game to Storrs next season and should be a perfect compliment to the frontline of Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson on a team with very high expectations.
Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu had a long journey coming to the United States by way of Nigeria and trying to reach the Division 1-A ranks to help him make a living playing basketball. Originally headed to Arizona, visa problems forced that plan to be on hold and Okwandu has been at a couple junior colleges the last few years, playing 12 games this past season at Harcum before questions about his letter of intent forced him out of the line-up for the rest of the season. In those 12 games, Okwandu averaged about 7 points per game and 8 rebounds a contest while shooting 57% from the field.
The plus side to Okwandu, besides being 7'1, is he will have three years of eligibility left when he arrives at UConn next fall. Okwandu recently visited the campus in Storrs and made an oral commitment earlier this month. West Virginia and Villanova, among others, were considered at the end as well.
Also on hand for Okwandu's visit was Scottie Haralson who committed to UConn verbally at the end of January. On the first day of the spring signing period, the Huskies recieved the signed letter of intent from Harralson.
Around the holidays, UConn headed to Florida to play UCF and also to do some recruiting. One player that caught their eye was Provine High School's Haralson, who put together four high-scoring outings at the talent-laden Amare Stoudemire Invitational Classic in Florida. The sharp-shooting 6'4 guard is averaged over 22 pts/game for coach Luther Riley.
Haralson will definitely join NYC Rice point guard Kemba Walker in the 2008 UConn class, which also looks to be adding Okwandu and now Majok. Things are still up in the air at this point on Nate Miles. Miles, a 6'7 swingman from Toledo, Ohio, is awaiting word from the NCAA Claringhouse. He had hoped to enroll at UConn for the previous semester, which began in January. Miles has obtained a diploma from The Patterson Schools (Lenoir, N.C.) and has received a qualifying score on the ACT. But he has also attended six high schools in the last five years and a preliminary decision from the NCAA was not in his favor. Also, UConn would have to accept him as a student as well and they will look to make his case for Fall entry.
Already this spring, Doug Wiggins has left the program and the speculation around Curtis Kelly ended last week when he announced he would transfer. If Miles enrolls and Kelly moving on, that leaves a full roster of 13 with Thabeet returning. Now adding Majok, the Huskies could be one over thge limit...but, you never know what will happen next...
Connecticut will also look to replace three seniors with recruiting for the 2009 class and got off to an extremely early start when they secured commitments from New England prep school standouts Alex Oriakhi (C) and Jamal Coombs (F) in what seemed like a generation ago. You can be sure that elite targets in the class of 2009 will be seeing if the UConn staff is on their trail this spring.
Labels: Connecticut Recruiting
Read more!
posted by NBE Blogger @ 3:39 PM
0 comments
