After a long July on the recruiting circuit with the New England Playaz, Naadir Tharpe has a list of schools in mind but plans to wait until he gets back to Brewster (N.H.) Academy to cut his list.
“I don’t have any top schools,” Tharpe, who previously decommitted from Providence, said Monday morning. “I’m basically looking at everybody until I get back to school and talk to my coach [Jason Smith] about what schools fit me the best.”
The 6-foot, 170-pound Tharpe listed St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Iowa State, Marquette, Providence and Oklahoma.
“The only school that hasn’t offered is Oklahoma,” he said.
Tharpe said he models his game after Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant and hopes to bring leadership and a winning attitude wherever he lands.
“Basically I want to be a leader,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what team you play on, your point guard is supposed to be the leader of your team. I’m gonna try to bring leadership, as well as winning.”
Playing time is important, too. So schools like Rutgers and St. John’s that can offer immediate PT in the backcourt are in good shape.
“Those schools don’t have any guards,” he said. “They’re definitely high on my list.”
In September, Tharpe heads back to Brewster where he will team up with Elijah Carter, the former St. Anthony guard, and big man Markus Kennedy, who has committed to Villanova.
“I can’t wait,” he said.
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