Teaneck (N.J.) High School shooting guard Joel Hernandez is the latest player to sign with LIU-Brooklyn, having done so Saturday morning as his visit to the campus ended.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Hernandez said he also considered Hofstra.
Hernandez told SNY.tv he picked LIU — which has appeared in three straight NCAA Tournaments — because of “the way it made me feel. I bonded with the players and coaches.”
Hernandez scored 1,590 points at Teaneck and led the Highwaymen to three straight North 1, Group 3 titles. He was named the Bergen Record Player of the Year.
“I’m going to come in looking to be a scorer and making an impact every time I’m on the court,” he said.
Teaneck coach Jerome Smart told the Record: “He was a very efficient scorer, and again he rebounded well for us. He picked up his defense for us. In years past, we would always hide him and he would guard the other team’s fourth or fifth best player. This year he took it upon himself that when we were playing a good post guy, he wanted to guard that person. He started playing both ends of the floor.”
Hernandez joins 6-1 Iverson Fleming, 6-7 Chris Carter and 6-7 Nura Zanna, the younger brother of Pitt’s Talib Zanna, in coach Jack Perri’s 2013 recruiting class.
Fleming, a guard from North Brunswick (N.J.) High is a former Hofstra pledge who opted for LIU after the recent coaching change at Hofstra.
“I picked LIU due to the fact of how I felt when I took my visit up there,” Fleming told SNY.tv. “The coaching staff made me feel wanted and comfortable. Another reason is to get a good education.
“I can go to school and not be too far away from home. Also, I like the style of play. They’re an up-tempo team and I like to get out and run. I can be a humble hard worker who brings leadership ability.”
Photo: The Record
