Ernest Aflakpui, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Radnor (PA) Archbishop Carroll, has taken official visits to Philadelphia schools St. Joe’s and Temple, and still plans to visit VCU and Rhode Island.
“Last weekend he went to Temple and had his official there and loved it, really enjoyed getting to meet the players and stuff,” Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk told SNY.tv Wednesday morning.
“I think that’s what it’s coming down to now. He has a real comfort level with the staffs of Temple, St. Joe’s and Rhode Island and VCU. He’s visited everywhere unofficially, all of those four schools. Now it’s a matter of getting to know the team a little bit more and that’s what he’s done these last two weekends with St. Joe’s and Temple.”
Aflakpui will take the SAT this coming weekend before resuming visits to VCU (Sept. 19-21) and Rhody (Sept. 26-28).
Meantime, coaches from Temple, St. Joe’s and Rhode Island watched him work out this week. St. Louis coach Jim Crews will also come in Thursday to meet with Aflakpui, his host family and Romanczuk, and Aflakpui may visit St. Louis as well.
“I think he’s targeting probably an October decision, I don’t know when in October,” Romanczuk said.
As far as his upside, Romanczuk says Aflakpui has a tremendous ceiling.
“The way he’s grown and improved as a player over the last couple years, I really think his upside is kind of limitless,” he said. “It would be an insult to put a limit on where this could be in five years. He’s figuring out parts of the game that he didn’t have when he first came over here. He’s an excellent defender, runs the court really well, rebounds, is an excellent teammate.
“And I just think because of his work ethic and the kind of high-character kid he is, he’s going to be a huge success wherever he goes in college. Once he gets around a college strength and conditioning coach and he’s doing his workouts more frequently with college coaches, he’s just going to take off.”
GEORGETOWN, MARYLAND RECRUITING 2017 G DAVID BEATTY
David Beatty, an athletic, 6-3 2017 guard from Carroll, visited Georgetown unofficially recently and Maryland will come in to see him Sunday.
“He’s like a combo guard,” Romanczuk said. “His position right now is the two, he could play a little point guard going forward, but he’s more of a slashing type guard right now. Very athletic, very strong build.”
