BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CONNECTICUT

March 30, 2009


VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Darius Smith, 6'2 PG from Chicago (IL) Marshall HS


Projected 2009-2010 Roster:


Seniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C), Hasheem Thabeet (C)
Juniors: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Sophomores: Kemba Walker (PG), Scottie Haralson
Freshmen: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (F), Jamaal Trice (SG), Darius Smith (PG)


One of the strangest recruiting sagas out of the Windy City has come to a close as standout Marshall High School guard Darius Smith is a Husky (Hartford Courant) as the 6'2 prospect surprises many following his recruitment by picking Connecticut over Marquette, DePaul, Cincinnati, Missouri and Indiana.

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As the UConn Huskies are preparing for the 2009 Final Four, coach Jim Calhoun and his staff struck on the recruiting trail by plucking one of the top unsigned seniors in the country remaining in the class of 2009 as they received a verbal commitment from Darius Smith of Marshall HS in the city of Chicago.

Smith has had an excellent senior season which only enhanced his status as one of the top players in the 2009 class. His senior season performance with the Commandos had him as the near unanimous pick of Windy City analysts as the top player in the Chicago-land area in the 2009 class.

Smith can get it done on both ends of the floor as an excellent on the ball defender with athletic ability and length and he can also score points from his lead guard position. While playing with the Illinois Warriors Smith showed the ability to be a ball-hawking defender with quick hands and playing defense with intensity.

With AJ Price graduating and Kemba Walker assuming the key role next season, Smith has the ability to play both guard positions with a player like Walker and run the show after he moves on. Smith is expected to sign a letter of intent in the spring signing period which will begin in two weeks.

For more on Smith's commitment and his recruitment, Illinois Prep Bulls-eye is a tremendous resource to check out.

Jamaal Trice finished up a high school career at powerful Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana (CA) and headed off to do a year of prep basketball at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham (NC). It looks like the move paid off as Trice is now a committed player in the class of 2009 for the Connecticut Huskies and is expected to sign a LOI with Smith this spring.

Trice played on an always loaded mater Dei team in 2007-2008 and averaged around 10 points a game. Trice and Smith will join Tilton School teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel as 2009-2010 freshmen for the Huskies.

Some of UConn's recruiting needs and priorities have been scrambled a bit since the fall as Nate Miles, a 6'7 wing, and 6'10 forward Ater Majok are not with the team. Miles was dismissed from school in his first month on the UConn campus. Majok has was partially cleared by the NCAA and will be eligible, academically, to begin playing in December of 2009. His saga is ongoing now, however, as a recruiting scandal with Miles and an agent, Josh Nochimson, a former UConn team manager, has called into question if UConn violated NCAA rules. Majok is Linked to the Agent in the Miles Case as there are 'Moore' Worries for UConn off the court than on during this Final Four run.

On paper, UConn is full on scholarships for 2009-2010. It is expected that Hasheem Thabeet would turn professional, which would open an additional scholarship. Expect UConn to be in the mix with some top players that either are, or become eligible in the spring recruiting period as the coaching carousel will likely spin as well.