By NICK MEDLINE
Special to ZAGSBLOG
On Wednesday, Reggie Rankin of ESPN moved Keith Stone into the Top-100 rankings.
Rankin praised Stone’s blend of “size and skill,” with five schools still in contention to land his commitment.
That race started to take shape: The 6-foot-8 Deerfield Beach (FL) small forward will visit Florida on Aug. 23 and Alabama on Sept. 19. Stone also told SNY.tv on Thursday that he’s planning a trip to South Carolina “soon.”
Those three schools, VCU and Virginia Tech comprise his top five list — which Stone announced last week.
His schedule, though, begins with Florida. The Gators and Billy Donovan hold one of Stone’s favorite qualities. He wants a team that can make the NCAA Tournament during his time there.
“We’re going to take a little visit to Gainesville,” Stone said. “I just want to meet with the coach, see how the school looks, and take a look at the practice facilities.”
Fellow SEC school Alabama might give him an opportunity to play immediately. Several of its best players are graduating after the season, leaving coach Anthony Grant to find key replacements. Stone said he could earn “major minutes” there.
One logical program fit might also be VCU. Shaka Smart has made his team into a perennial tourney threat, and Stone said he likes the system.
“Coach Shaka said he loves how I play defense and how I stretch the floor,” Stone said. “I like their style — trapping the ball and pressing.”
Fit, contender, playing time: If one of those five schools impresses Stone in those areas, it would stand a great chance of adding top-100 talent.
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