2014 point guard Chris Chiozza is off the board.

The 5-foot-11 point guard from Memphis (Tenn.) White Station picked Florida Tuesday.

“Feels good to be a gator #florida #universityofflorida #chomp,” he Tweeted.

He also considered Ohio State, Memphis, Tennessee, Auburn, UMass and Richmond.

“Florida’s always been one of my top three schools since I was a little kid,” Chiozza told SNY.tv recently in Fort Wayne, IN. “I’ve always loved watching them. I’d alsolove to play with Kasey Hill and Chris Walker, if they’re still there. They’re also recruiting my teammate Leron [Black] so that’s a school where we could play together.”

Chiozza and Black, teammates on the AAU circuit and at Memphis White Station High School, have discussed that possibility, meaning Black might now consider Florida.

The 6-7 Black listed Florida, Illinois, N.C. State, Ohio State and UConn as the other schools coming after him the hardest.

“We haven’t said for sure if we’re going to go to the same school,” Chiozza said. “We’ve said we want to play with each other. If we don’t, we’re still going to be like brothers—we’ve known each other since we were little.”

BUTLER TO RHODY

Matt Butler, a 6-3 shooting guard from Memphis East, signed with Rhode Island and head coach Dan Hurley.

“Matt is a sharp-shooter, no question,” East coach Vernard Watkins told the Providence Journal. “Matt and his mother are real impressed with Coach Hurley and the structure in the program. he was always looking for the right fit. Matt is a good student and a disciplined kid with great character.”

Butler joins E.C. Matthews of Detroit and Hassan Martin of Staten Island in Rhody’s recruiting class.

The Journal reported that Rhody remains involved with Chicago power forward Alex Foster, who visits this week.

FREE THROWS

Texas A&M reportedly got a commitment from 6-10 Dylan Johns of the Houston (TX) Trent International School….Seton Hall point guard Tom Maayan is reportedly back in Israel doing his obligatory military service and may not return to the Pirates.

Photo: CBSSports.com

Team Thad coach Norton Hurd told SNY.tv that 2014 point guard Chris Chiozza has not yet decided on his college landing spot.

“Chris Chiozza has not made any decision yet and will be committing this Tuesdsay,” Hurd said. “His list is now down to Ohio State, Memphis, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, UMass and Richmond.”

Chiozza will commit to Florida next week, according to CBSSports.com.

“Florida’s always been one of my top three schools since I was a little kid,” Chiozza told SNY.tv last week in Fort Wayne, IN. “I’ve always loved watching them. I’d also love to play with Kasey Hill and Chris Walker, if they’re still there. They’re also recruiting my teammate Leron [Black] so that’s a school where we could play together.”

Chiozza and Black, teammates on the AAU circuit and at Memphis White Station High School, have discussed that possibility, meaning Black might now consider Florida if Chiozza goes there.

The 6-7 Black listed Florida, Illinois, N.C. State, Ohio State and UConn as the other schools coming after him the hardest.

“We haven’t said for sure if we’re going to go to the same school,” Chiozza said. “We’ve said we want to play with each other. If we don’t, we’re still going to be like brothers—we’ve known each other since we were little.”

Photo: CBSSports.com

For the second time in four years, a former Rutgers and St. Anthony guard is headed to Florida.

Last time around it was Mike Rosario,  now it’s Eli Carter.

And he could end up getting a hardship waiver to play right away.

“Proud to announce that I will be continuing my career at the University of Florida !! #Gators,” the 6-foot-2 Carter Tweeted.

Carter was supposed to visit Maryland later this week, but that visit won’t be necessary.

“The opportunity to play is certainly there and I know the visit went extremely well,” Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley told SNY.tv. “He was very impressed with the entire package they have, player development, weight training, athletic facilities, the tutelage under [head coach Billy] Donovan. And very strong in this is [assistant] Rashon Burno being there.”

Carter averaged 14.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists before fracturing his right fibula in mid-February against DePaul.

Echoing comments grassroots basketball legend Sonny Vaccaro told SNY.tv, Hurley said he expected that all the Rutgers transfers should — and would — get waivers to play right away in 2013-14 considering the extenuating circumstances of the Mike Rice firing.

“I think the NCAA  would give these kids eligibility,” Hurley said. “He’s gonna be right in there. He’ll be down there and working as soon as he’s able to. He loves basketball. He’s gotta take the next step now.

Carter is the second former Rutgers player to finalize his next step, following junior wing Mike Poole, who announced plans to transfer to Iona.

Sophomore guard Jerome Seagears will announce Wednesday for Auburn or Arkansas.

Photo: ESPN.com

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Sophomore guard Eli Carter will have an in-home visit with Florida coach Billy Donovan, and junior wing Mike Poole will visit Iona.

“Yes, Florida,” St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley told SNY.tv.

“I think with [former St. Anthony player and Florida assistant] Rashon Burno there and two guards leaving [Mike Rosario and Kenny Boynton], one guard signed, [Kasey] Hill is the only guard coming in, they can I think talk to him about playing time.

“When you transfer you have to go someplace where you’re gonna play. You can’t go someplace and play less than you did where you were before.”

Keep in mind that Rosario was another former St. Anthony standout who transferred to Florida from Rutgers after his sophomore season and ultimately thrived under Donovan, so there is a blueprint there for Carter.

Still, a number of teams are interested in the 6-foot-2 Carter, who averaged 14.9 points last season before a leg injury. Hurley mentioned Texas, Maryland and Duke, ”because of his friendship with [former Duke star] Kyrie [Irving].”

But there are other schools as well.

“He’s wide open right now,” Hurley said.

Meantime, the 6-5 Poole is considering Iona, St. John’s, Liberty and Norfolk State, according to his mentor, Nate Blue.

He will visit Iona Tuesday.

Poole scored a career-best 18 points against Iona Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden, and Blue said Poole likes coach Tim Cluess’s up-tempo style of play.

Meantime, Jordan is taking over a team with just five scholarship players at the moment.

In addition to Carter and Poole, Jerome Seagears, Malick Kone and Vincent Garrett are transferring, and onetime commits Shane Rector (Missouri) and Chris Griffin (Auburn) have found new homes. Seagears visited Auburn this past weekend and heads to Arkansas next weekend.

All the Rutgers transfers could ask for — and get — waivers to play immediately next season because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding Mike Rice’s departure. Sonny Vaccaro previously told SNY.tv that they should all get waivers.

Asked what the new coach should do going forward, Hurley, who previously told SNY.tv that his wife, Chris, and daughter, Melissa, pushed him to take the job after Rice was fired, had a few thoughts.

“You have to try to recruit the ones you have a chance of keeping there,” Hurley said.

“And it’s hard because everybody feels like they don’t want to be part of interview or they don’t want to be in a fishbowl next year. So there’s a lot of kids that would just prefer to just go someplace else and not have to deal with all of the drama. So he’s gotta work on that but I think he did a job by keeping Van Macon and David Cox. He kept the two people there that would help him keep a bridge to these kids.”

One of those kids is former St. Anthony and Paterson Catholic star Myles Mack, one of the five players who has not asked for a release.

“I think Myles, like everybody else, he’s happy there,” Hurley said. “You gotta balance the happiness with the scrutiny. I think he’d be comfortable with Eddie Jordan.I know he’s comfortable with the two assistant coaches. He love the University, his parents want to see every game.

“There’s probably a good chance he could stay, but again it’s such an unusual set of circumstances. I don’t know if anybody wants to just go through what next year is going to be all about. It’s going to be an awful lot of scrutiny.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Over the last five years since his days at St. Anthony of Jersey City came to an end, there have been nights where Florida red-shirt senior Mike Rosario hasn’t played well, forced a coach to put him on the bench or nights where he scored a ton in a losing effort, which could pretty much sum up his two-year stint at Rutgers.

Sunday evening against Minnesota in the third round of the NCAA Tournament was different. Finally, after five years of college basketball and nearly a decade in the spotlight, Rosario, the enigmatic, combustible star of the Friars’ vaunted Class of 2008, may have figured it all out and his timing couldn’t be more perfect.

A mere 48 hours after finding himself on the bench for the majority of the Gators’ second-round win over Northwestern State, the 6-foot-3 Rosario turned in arguably his biggest game as a collegian, going for a game-high 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting and 6-for-9 from 3-point range in a 78-64 win over Minnesota.

As Rosario and the third-seeded Gators prepare for 15th-seeded and NCAA Tournament darling Florida Gulf Coast on Friday evening in the Sweet 16, it stands to reason that people from Jersey City to Piscataway to Gainesville are thinking the same thing about that effort on this stage.

It’s about time.

“You just think about all those mornings you wake up throughout the season and preseason and especially summer workouts to prepare yourself for this moment right here,” Rosario told the media at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. on Thursday afternoon. “We just want to take full advantage of this experience and what’s happening now and not feel like our team and our program is really locked in on what’s going on right now.  As far as us as a whole, we’re just trying to take this experience to the next level and just go out there and compete.”

Rosario’s talent has always been evident, but mentally, there always seemed to be something missing. At least once during his senior year of high school, which would end with a 32-0 record and a consensus No. 1 national ranking, a team meeting needed to be held in an effort to rein Rosario in. Problems continued to persist under then-head coach Fred Hill at Rutgers, but the eventual transfer to Billy Donovan and Florida saved his career.

There has been some reeling in down at Florida over the last three seasons, but Donovan’s nature and demeanor as a tough disciplinarian has served Rosario well as he has been held accountable for his shortcomings.

For example, after failing to box out on one particular play against Northwestern State, Donovan put him on the bench for the majority of the game. Rosario accepted responsibility for the mistake and Donovan went right back to him on Sunday evening.

“Mike will assume responsibility,” Donovan said Sunday after the Minnesota game. “He is not a finger-pointer and is not blaming other people. The best thing about Mike is that Mike lets me coach him. I am on him all the time a lot because I want him to be the best he can be on and off the floor.”

These are the final days on the college basketball circuit for St. Anthony head coach Bob Hurley’s Class of 2008, among the most talented group ever assembled by the Hall of Famer. It seems fitting in a way that Rosario, the kid with the most talent within a group that produced six Division I scholarships, is the last one standing to carry the torch.

After a highly-productive college career at Kansas, Tyshawn Taylor is in his rookie season with the Brooklyn Nets, Tray Woodall (Pitt) saw his standout career come to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week, Jio Fontan (Fordham, USC) had a promising career undermined by injuries, and the careers of A.J. Rogers (St. Joseph’s, Norfolk State) and Alberto Estwick (Fordham) could be defined as mixed bags.

Having been through a transfer along with his own set of problems during his college career, Taylor has been a guy for Rosario, his longtime friend, to lean on.

“Going into this tournament, his focus is just staying ready and trying to win,” Taylor told SNY.tv recently. “That’s the most important thing. The further his team goes, the more exposure he gets and the more opportunity he gets to perform and be that big time player that I know he is and his teammates know he is.”

Photo: Getty Images

Follow Josh Newman on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

By JACK LeGWIN

Special to ZAGSBLOG

LAKELAND, Fla. — Chris Walker figures to be a problem for other SEC teams next year when he joins the Florida Gators.

He’s already a huge problem for a lot of high school teams in his home state.

The 6-foot-10, 195-pound Walker put up a triple-double of 20 points, 13 rebounds and 13 blocks Tuesday when Holmes County beat Hawthorne, 51-48, in the 1A state semifinals.

Walker helped cement the game with several key blocks late.

“I have definitely improved my game,” he told SNY.tv. “I am a much better rebounder, and shot blocker, and my offense is improving as well.”

Walker and Holmes County next play in the state 1A championship Wednesday against a West Gadsden team that took down Union County, 75-51.

“You really have to make him earn it on the glass and go up strong for every rebound,” Hawthorne coach Greg Bowie said. “You cannot give him free blocks either, which is what we did. “He’s a very good player and a very good shot blocker.”

Walker’s athletic ceiling is high, but Holmes County coach Poe White thinks that his success in college depends on how much work he’s willing to do this offseason.

“It really depends on him, how hard he works this summer, “ said White. “He definitely has to get in the weight room, and work on some other skills he has. If he works, it’s all up to him. But he will definitely be on the court next year.”

Walker was named both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. He will team will future Florida teammate Kasey Hill on the East squad in both events.

That, in turn, will give the nation and the players themselves a glimpse of the damage they can cause next season.

“We’re going to come in next year,” he said, “work hard and earn the best record we can.”

In the meantime, he’s got one thing on his mind.

“I could not get into a rhythm early, and I was missing shots that I usually make,” he said of his play Tuesday. “I need to come out better in the next game if we want to win a state championship.”

Photo: 247 Sports

Follow Jack on Twitter

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

The 6-foot-10 Price Martin holds offers from Florida, Louisville, Miami, Memphis, Florida State, USC, Auburn, South Carolina, Rutgers and South Florida, among others.

“He is a face-up forward who attacks the basket from the perimeter,” Team Breakdown coach Kenny Gillon told SNY.tv. “He has a smooth stroke out to the 3-point line. He’s an aggressive rebounder and shot-blocker.

“He has great size and length (7-foot-5 wingspan) and crazy athletic ability. He is a quick leaper and soars so as he gets stronger the sky is the limit for him.”

Price-Martin and the Hurricanes will meet reigning Class 7A state champion Blanche Ely in the championship game Saturday.

Rosario, a senior shooting guard at Florida, was the No. 3 pick behind Renaldo Balkman and former Nebraska big man Brian Jorge Diaz.

Fontan, a senior point guard at USC, went No. 8 and Gaston, a senior forward at Fordham, went No. 9. Rosario and Gaston were both chosen by the Ponce Lions, while Fontan went to San German.

“The way this has worked in Puerto Rico is that the draft happens and until players exhaust their NCAA eligibility, they don’t sign a contract, practice or play,” said Todd Washington, a family friend of Rosario and Fontan and the founder of the Puerto Rico Playmakers AAU team. The draft began in 2003; prior to that players were assigned.

The league, which begins play April 1, is considered a fallback in case the players don’t make an NBA roster.

But some players have springboarded to the NBA from the BSN.

Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea, who won a title with the Mavericks in 2011, played in the BSN after his senior year at Northeastern in 2006 and then signed with the Mavericks.

“These players can make a decision to play in Puerto Rico in advance of the NBA Draft and use that as a platform to stay in shape and showcase their abilities to NBA teams,” Washington said.

“Mike and his family and Jio and his family will ultimately have to make the decision as to what’s best for them.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

By SEVE COUSINS & ADAM ZAGORIA

ROSELLE, N.J. - Julius Randle made quite a sensation in the recruiting world recently when he was asked what one player he would like to play with in college.

“I guess…you know a point guard is pretty important, so I like Andrew, Andrew Harrison,” Randle told Dave Telep of ESPN.com.

Harrison will be playing the point at Kentucky next season along with his brother, Aaron Harrison.

But another SEC-bound point guard would like to play with the 6-foot-9 Randle, too.

That would be Florida-bound Kasey Hill of Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

“I feel like we can run pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll,” Hill told SNY.tv Wednesday after he scored 10 points as his team crushed St. Peter’s Prep, 89-62, at the Holiday Hoops for Troops event at Roselle Catholic.

“I think it would be a perfect fit for us. Of course, everybody wants to say that they want to make it to the national championship. That’s a very hard thing to do. I haven’t experienced college yet but of course winning a national championship is what we all want.”

Randle, out of Prestonwood (TX) Christian Academy, is down to Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, N.C. State and Kansas. He will sign in the spring, along with fellow elite players Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Dakari Johnson and Jermaine Lawrence.

Hill, meantime, will be joined by AAU teammate Chris Walker to form a powerful one-two punch at Florida.

But there is always room for a player of Randle’s talent.

Randle and Hill are very familiar with one another and the two  speak whenever they get a chance.

“We always go on the same team at camps and stuff, we play well together,” Hill said.

Randle also has a Florida connection, having played for Gators coach Billy Donovan on the gold medal-winning U.S. U18 team this past summer.

After Randle went for 18 points and 12 boards in an 81-56 rout of Brazil in the gold medal game, Donovan told our man Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com of Randle:

“I’ve never seen a guy his size that quick and athletic off the bounce.”

The Gators, currently ranked No. 13, have not only signed Hill and Walker but also have two high-level transfers in forward Dorian Finney- Smith (Virginia Tech) and center Damontre Harris (South Carolina).

Randle, Hill and Walker could form a tremendous trio at Florida that would be very similar to the  2004 class when Florida boasted top recruits Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer.

That group went on to win back to back national championships, which is not lost on Kasey Hill.

Follow Seve Cousins on Twitter

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

They both want to see the vastly talented shooting guard from Jersey City, N.J., realize his potential.

“One of the most frustrating things in life is when someone with potential doesn’t reach their potential,” Hall of Fame St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley told SNY.tv at the Brayden Carr Foundation Clinic at Rutgers.

“So all we want to see is this kid who we love — he’s been in our gym since he was a little kid — that he plays to his potential this year and helps Florida to be a team that last year was a field goal away from playing in the [Final Four].”

The 6-foot-6 Rosario averaged 6.6 points last season at Florida, but with Bradley Beal (NBA) and Erving Walker (graduation) now gone, his role will expand exponentially.

Gators coach Billy Donovan will now rely even more on Rosario and fellow shooting guard Kenny Boynton.

“I think he can help our basketball team,” Donovan said of Rosario after speaking at the clinic. “I think he can be a big part of our team, but I think there’s certain things that he has to take care of on his end and if he can do that I think he’ll have a really really great senior year.”

Donovan said he may play some three-guard sets with Scottie Wilbekin, Rosario and Boynton, but that unit will have to work hard to rebound, something that Beal excelled at.

“Mike’s more of a craftier offensive player,” Donovan said. “Boynton’s got more explosion and more athleticism than Mike. Mike’s a crafty kind of player. He’s got all the tricks. He can flip it up. He’s very interesting.”

Rosario achieved a lifelong dream this summer when he played with the Puerto Rico Senior National Team during Olympic qualifying. Playing behind guards like J.J. Barea of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Carlos Arroyo, Rosario averaged just 3 points in two games.

“I think it was a humbling experience with Barrea And Carlos Arryo and having to back those guys up and maybe not getting a lot of minutes,” Donovan said of Rosario.

“I know he was really disappointed that they were really close to making it to the Olympics. I think that would have been an exciting experience.”

No one has ever doubted Rosario’s talent. He helped St. Anthony go a perfect 32-0  and win a mythical national championship during his senior season. He was the first McDonald’s All-American ever to commit to Rutgers.

But after being handed the keys to the kingdom as a freshman, his game — and attitude — went into a freefall.

He transferred to Florida after his sophomore season to help resurrect his game and his career.

“The bad habits that he established after leaving us, he’s had a year with Coach Donovan to get those habits out of his system,” Hurley said.

Donovan agreed, saying more than anything, Rosario needs to be accountable in this, his final year on campus.

“I think Mike’s whole thing for us this year is the accountability part,” he said. “Just being accountable to do the things he needs to do. And it’s not necessarily him as a player – what he can and can’t do – it’s him just taking care of the things he needs to take care of. And he’s a great kid. I’ve really enjoyed being around him.”

Photo: NJ.com

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook