Martin Geben is off the board.
The 6-foot-9 Lithuanian forward from Hagerstown (Md.) St. Maria Goretti pulled the trigger for Notre Dame, choosing the Irish over Virginia.
“He pulled the trigger today,” St. Maria Goretti coach Amrit Rayfield told SNY.tv.
Geben visited Notre Dame last week and it went well.
“He got to see quite a few things, it was the opening weekend of football and there was a lot of excitement out there for that,” he said of the Irish’s 28-6 win over Temple.
“He seemed to really like the school,” he added. “It has a high level of academics which he’s looking to trying to get into some things they have to offer. Overall, the basketball, the academics, the atmosphere. He got a chance to play with some of the guys once or twice in the open gym. Overall, it was a very good visit for him.”
Rayfield said Geben’s game has grown in leaps and bounds since arriving in the U.S. three years ago.
“He’s gotten better,” he said. “It’s hard to even imagine when he came over he was 6-7, 195 and all he did was shoot 3’s. As he continued to grow and his confidence increased, it really transformed his game. He can still face up, he’s a face-up, stretch four, but he’s 6-9, 230 now.
“He can go inside. He’s big and strong and physical and rebounds very well. He went from being an honorable mention to Player of the Year in the Baltimore Catholic League.
“He will continue to get bigger and stronger and more athletic,” Rayfield added. “He’s going to be a very good player wherever he goes.”
