PERSPECTIVE ON RICO PICKETT
April 3, 2009
According to a published report at Rivals.com, Miami-Dade CC shooting guard Rico Pickett is very interested in UConn and an official visit April 15th could seal the deal in his recruitment.
Recently, NBE Basketball Report talked with Pickett's coach at Miami-Dade, Matt Eisele.
"Enrico has a chance to be a big time player," coach Eisele said. "He is very good in transition, can finish with either hand, [he is a] big time athlete and most of all [he] can really score the basketball."
Pickett was a high school star at Decatur (AL) High School. He made an early commitment to home state Alabama and coach Mark Gottfried before the AAU travel season between his junior and senior season. However, Pickett re-opened his his recruitment at least once prior to the early signing period, but in the end, put pen to paper and signed on with the Crimson Tide.
As a freshman in the SEC, Pickett started 20 games for the Tide, averaging nearly 6 points a game and a team-high 3.3 assists a contest playing a lot of time at point guard. The season had its shares of ups and downs for the 6-foot-3 guard as he was suspended twice by coach Gottfried for 'failing to live up to academic responsibilities.' The second suspension, which was imposed last April, led Pickett to decide he wanted to transfer and led to him finding his way to Miami-Dade CC on his way back to high-major Division 1-A basketball.
The next desitnation appears it could be UConn. Pickett has also had high-level intertest this spring in Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. On the heels of an excellent season with Miami-Dade, which saw Pickett average 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, Rico was the runner-up in conference player of the year voting, only trailing teammate Trevor Mbakwe for the award.
Coach Eisele feels Pickett will shine at his next chance at the 1-A level and his game sounds like a nice fit in Jim Calhoun's Husky system.
"He has a great ability to get to the basket and beat people off the dribble," said his coach. "Has the potential to be a lights out defender as well"
As for the troubles at Alabama, Eisele saw none of that in Pickett's time at Miami-Dade.
"He is a great kid that has been a real pleasure to coach," Eisele said.
We will continue to follow Pickett's recruitment, but as of now, UConn looks to be the only scheduled visit this spring.
According to a published report at Rivals.com, Miami-Dade CC shooting guard Rico Pickett is very interested in UConn and an official visit April 15th could seal the deal in his recruitment.
Recently, NBE Basketball Report talked with Pickett's coach at Miami-Dade, Matt Eisele.
"Enrico has a chance to be a big time player," coach Eisele said. "He is very good in transition, can finish with either hand, [he is a] big time athlete and most of all [he] can really score the basketball."
Pickett was a high school star at Decatur (AL) High School. He made an early commitment to home state Alabama and coach Mark Gottfried before the AAU travel season between his junior and senior season. However, Pickett re-opened his his recruitment at least once prior to the early signing period, but in the end, put pen to paper and signed on with the Crimson Tide.
As a freshman in the SEC, Pickett started 20 games for the Tide, averaging nearly 6 points a game and a team-high 3.3 assists a contest playing a lot of time at point guard. The season had its shares of ups and downs for the 6-foot-3 guard as he was suspended twice by coach Gottfried for 'failing to live up to academic responsibilities.' The second suspension, which was imposed last April, led Pickett to decide he wanted to transfer and led to him finding his way to Miami-Dade CC on his way back to high-major Division 1-A basketball.
The next desitnation appears it could be UConn. Pickett has also had high-level intertest this spring in Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. On the heels of an excellent season with Miami-Dade, which saw Pickett average 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, Rico was the runner-up in conference player of the year voting, only trailing teammate Trevor Mbakwe for the award.
Coach Eisele feels Pickett will shine at his next chance at the 1-A level and his game sounds like a nice fit in Jim Calhoun's Husky system.
"He has a great ability to get to the basket and beat people off the dribble," said his coach. "Has the potential to be a lights out defender as well"
As for the troubles at Alabama, Eisele saw none of that in Pickett's time at Miami-Dade.
"He is a great kid that has been a real pleasure to coach," Eisele said.
We will continue to follow Pickett's recruitment, but as of now, UConn looks to be the only scheduled visit this spring.
Labels: Connecticut Recruiting
posted by NBE Blogger @ 9:06 AM
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