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.
Recruiting Roundup: 2015 Guards Traci Carter, Eli Cain Enjoy Visits; Buffalo Adds JUCO Wing Maurice O’Field; JUCO Guard Myers Trips to West Virginia
Burlington (N.J.) Life Center point guard Traci Carter enjoyed his weekend official visit to Marquette for their 58-48 victory over DePaul, and has tentative visits set to UConn and Memphis.
Carter was coming off a visit to Xavier and will also consider a fifth school to be determined.
“I liked the commitment and the support of the [Marquette] men’s basketball program from top to bottom, starting with the President of the University and the Athletic Director down to the coaching staff, the academic support team and team managers,” Donnie Carr, Carter’s guardian, told SNY.tv. “They have a great fan base and everyone involved with the program has one common goal, to do their part to make sure Marquette basketball is successful.”
Carr likes how head Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski would use the 6-foot Carter, whose stock took off this winter and spring as he played along uncommitted wing Malik Ellison, son of head coach and former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Pervis Ellison.
“Because of Marquette’s need for a true point guard, Traci would be given a chance to lead the program from day one,” Carr said. “In addition to that, he would be learning from a coach who played his position in college at Duke and coached under arguably one of the top three coaches in college basketball history for the last two decades. Also, Marquette has a staff full of former college point guards who all played in major conferences.”
Carter will next visit UConn March 20-22 and Memphis March 27-29 depending on the NCAA Tournament and other postseason events.
ELI CAIN ENJOYS DEPAULEli Cain, a 6-5 guard from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s Prep, enjoyed his weekend official to DePaul and will hit Iona next.
“The DePaul visit was great. The city, campus and playing opportunity was great,” Cain, a onetime Delaware commit, told SNY.tv. “They have minutes at both guard spots.”
Cain will hit Iona on Friday and by then the Gaels could be headed to the NCAA Tournament. They beat Monmouth on Sunday in the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament and will play the Manhattan-St. Peter’s winner in Monday night’s championship game.
Iona and Duquesne are expected at St. Benedict’s this week to see Cain.
BUFFALO ADDS O’FIELDBuffalo coach Bobby Hurley got a commitment Friday night from Maurice O’Field, a 6-5 small forward from Midland (TX) College, sources confirmed to SNY.tv.
O’Field, a Cleveland native who averaged 15.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists and has three years of eligibility left, had offers from Gonzaga, Maryland, Marquette and others, according to JucoRecruitingcom.
“I think the style of play fits exactly what I like to do on the floor,” O’Field told SNY.tv. “I’m great in transition where I can capitalize on my athleticism. In the half court offense there’s a lot of ball screens and cuts I’m comfortable with. I am comfortable using screens and making plays scoring and passing to my teammates. I’m tough and really take pride in getting stops on defense.”
O’Field praised Hurley, who won two NCAA championships at Duke and has guided Buffalo to the No. 2 seed in this week’s MAC Tournament.
“What Coach Hurley is doing at Buffalo is unbelievable,” he said. “The program is getting national attention and I want to be a part of that. I grew up around the MAC Conference, it’s great basketball and to me playing for a guy like Coach Hurley in front of friends and family is a dream come true.”
TEYVON MYERS ENJOYS WEST VIRGINIATeyvon Myers, a 6-2 shooting guard from Brooklyn and Williston (N.D.) State College, enjoyed his weekend visit to West Virginia and will see Louisville and Arizona State “in the near future,” he told SNY.tv.
“It was fun,” he said. “I saw a lot of great things at West Virginia but most important those guys are family.”
He added: “I will bring hard work and dedication to whatever program. I will be the best player I can be.”
Myers, who averaged 25.1 points, 4.0 rebound and 3.4 assists this season, said he hasn’t cut his list and is “considering every option.”
FREE THROWS
Georgetown assistant Kevin Broadus and Rutgers assistant Greg “Shoes” Vetrone watched 2016 Seton Hall Prep guard T.J. Gibbs on Sunday. Gibbs had 15 points and six rebounds as Seton Hall Prep beat St. Joe’s-Metuchen, 54-47, in the North Jersey Non-Public A semifinals. They will face Syracuse-bound Moustapha Diagne and Pope John XXIII on Wednesday in the Non-Public A final at Rutgers at 6 p.m….Seton Hall transfer Jaren Sina will have an in-home visit Monday with South Carolina coach Frank Martin after visiting Binghamton this weekend.
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.
Burlington (N.J.) Life Center point guard Traci Carter enjoyed his weekend official visit to Marquette for their 58-48 victory over DePaul, and has tentative visits set to UConn and Memphis.
Carter was coming off a visit to Xavier and will also consider a fifth school to be determined.
“I liked the commitment and the support of the [Marquette] men’s basketball program from top to bottom, starting with the President of the University and the Athletic Director down to the coaching staff, the academic support team and team managers,” Donnie Carr, Carter’s guardian, told SNY.tv. “They have a great fan base and everyone involved with the program has one common goal, to do their part to make sure Marquette basketball is successful.”
Carr likes how head Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski would use the 6-foot Carter, whose stock took off this winter and spring as he played along uncommitted wing Malik Ellison, son of head coach and former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Pervis Ellison.
“Because of Marquette’s need for a true point guard, Traci would be given a chance to lead the program from day one,” Carr said. “In addition to that, he would be learning from a coach who played his position in college at Duke and coached under arguably one of the top three coaches in college basketball history for the last two decades. Also, Marquette has a staff full of former college point guards who all played in major conferences.”
Carter will next visit UConn March 20-22 and Memphis March 27-29 depending on the NCAA Tournament and other postseason events.
ELI CAIN ENJOYS DEPAUL
Eli Cain, a 6-5 guard from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s Prep, enjoyed his weekend official to DePaul and will hit Iona next.
“The DePaul visit was great. The city, campus and playing opportunity was great,” Cain, a onetime Delaware commit, told SNY.tv. “They have minutes at both guard spots.”
Cain will hit Iona on Friday and by then the Gaels could be headed to the NCAA Tournament. They beat Monmouth on Sunday in the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament and will play the Manhattan-St. Peter’s winner in Monday night’s championship game.
Iona and Duquesne are expected at St. Benedict’s this week to see Cain.
BUFFALO ADDS O’FIELD
Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley got a commitment Friday night from Maurice O’Field, a 6-5 small forward from Midland (TX) College, sources confirmed to SNY.tv.
O’Field, a Cleveland native who averaged 15.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists and has three years of eligibility left, had offers from Gonzaga, Maryland, Marquette and others, according to JucoRecruitingcom.
“I think the style of play fits exactly what I like to do on the floor,” O’Field told SNY.tv. “I’m great in transition where I can capitalize on my athleticism. In the half court offense there’s a lot of ball screens and cuts I’m comfortable with. I am comfortable using screens and making plays scoring and passing to my teammates. I’m tough and really take pride in getting stops on defense.”
O’Field praised Hurley, who won two NCAA championships at Duke and has guided Buffalo to the No. 2 seed in this week’s MAC Tournament.
“What Coach Hurley is doing at Buffalo is unbelievable,” he said. “The program is getting national attention and I want to be a part of that. I grew up around the MAC Conference, it’s great basketball and to me playing for a guy like Coach Hurley in front of friends and family is a dream come true.”
TEYVON MYERS ENJOYS WEST VIRGINIA
Teyvon Myers, a 6-2 shooting guard from Brooklyn and Williston (N.D.) State College, enjoyed his weekend visit to West Virginia and will see Louisville and Arizona State “in the near future,” he told SNY.tv.
“It was fun,” he said. “I saw a lot of great things at West Virginia but most important those guys are family.”
He added: “I will bring hard work and dedication to whatever program. I will be the best player I can be.”
Myers, who averaged 25.1 points, 4.0 rebound and 3.4 assists this season, said he hasn’t cut his list and is “considering every option.”
FREE THROWS
Georgetown assistant Kevin Broadus and Rutgers assistant Greg “Shoes” Vetrone watched 2016 Seton Hall Prep guard T.J. Gibbs on Sunday. Gibbs had 15 points and six rebounds as Seton Hall Prep beat St. Joe’s-Metuchen, 54-47, in the North Jersey Non-Public A semifinals. They will face Syracuse-bound Moustapha Diagne and Pope John XXIII on Wednesday in the Non-Public A final at Rutgers at 6 p.m….Seton Hall transfer Jaren Sina will have an in-home visit Monday with South Carolina coach Frank Martin after visiting Binghamton this weekend.
