Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Two of the top uncommitted players in the metropolitan area will take key official visits this weekend.
Sherrod Wright, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Mount Vernon High, is headed to South Carolina today for an official visit.
“He is going to South Carolina [Friday],” Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said.
Wright is ranked No. 35 among shooting guards in the Class of 2009 by Rivals. Cimmino said Marquette and Providence were the other “legitimate” players for Wright, but it remains unclear if Wright will take further officials after this weekend, or whether he will commit in November or April.
“I’m not sure,” Cimmino said. “It depends on he he feels after this weekend.”
Mount Vernon has a long tradition of sending players to the Division I ranks and beyond. Former Mount Vernon star Kevin Jones is now a highly valued freshman forward at West Virginia. Onetime Mount Vernon star Ben Gordon plays for the Chicago Bulls.
Dominic Cheek, Wright’s teammate with the Playaz Basketball Club, will take his third official visit this weekend to Pittsburgh.
It’s a big weekend in the Iron City as the football team hosts Louisville Saturday in a critical Big East tilt, and the Steelers host the Colts on Sunday.
The 6-5 Cheek has already visited Kansas and Villanova. He will also see Memphis Nov. 14 (along with John Wall) and Rutgers Nov. 21. Cheek is also slated to take an unofficial to Rutgers Nov. 10 for an exhibition game against Division II Caldwell College.
Cheek has several connections to Pitt. His former St. Anthony teammate, Travon Woodall, is a freshman guard for the Panthers, as is former Seton Hall Prep guard Ashton Gibbs.
“If I have any questions [about Pitt], I can ask Travon because he’s my last year’s teammate and everything and he’s there already,” Cheek said.
Pitt assistant Brandin Knight is a New Jersey native who made quite an impression on Cheek during an in-home visit.
“It was good, very good,” St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said last month. “Brandin Knight from Seton Hall Prep was able to give the perspective of a kid who played at Pitt. He gave Dom information that was helpful.”
St. Anthony associate head coach Ben Gamble says it’s likely that Cheek will wait until the spring to commit.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Two of the top uncommitted players in the metropolitan area will take key official visits this weekend.
Sherrod Wright, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Mount Vernon High, is headed to South Carolina today for an official visit.
“He is going to South Carolina [Friday],” Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said.
Wright is ranked No. 35 among shooting guards in the Class of 2009 by Rivals. Cimmino said Marquette and Providence were the other “legitimate” players for Wright, but it remains unclear if Wright will take further officials after this weekend, or whether he will commit in November or April.
“I’m not sure,” Cimmino said. “It depends on he he feels after this weekend.”
Mount Vernon has a long tradition of sending players to the Division I ranks and beyond. Former Mount Vernon star Kevin Jones is now a highly valued freshman forward at West Virginia. Onetime Mount Vernon star Ben Gordon plays for the Chicago Bulls.
Dominic Cheek, Wright’s teammate with the Playaz Basketball Club, will take his third official visit this weekend to Pittsburgh.
It’s a big weekend in the Iron City as the football team hosts Louisville Saturday in a critical Big East tilt, and the Steelers host the Colts on Sunday.
The 6-5 Cheek has already visited Kansas and Villanova. He will also see Memphis Nov. 14 (along with John Wall) and Rutgers Nov. 21. Cheek is also slated to take an unofficial to Rutgers Nov. 10 for an exhibition game against Division II Caldwell College.
Cheek has several connections to Pitt. His former St. Anthony teammate, Travon Woodall, is a freshman guard for the Panthers, as is former Seton Hall Prep guard Ashton Gibbs.
“If I have any questions [about Pitt], I can ask Travon because he’s my last year’s teammate and everything and he’s there already,” Cheek said.
Pitt assistant Brandin Knight is a New Jersey native who made quite an impression on Cheek during an in-home visit.
“It was good, very good,” St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said last month. “Brandin Knight from Seton Hall Prep was able to give the perspective of a kid who played at Pitt. He gave Dom information that was helpful.”
St. Anthony associate head coach Ben Gamble says it’s likely that Cheek will wait until the spring to commit.
