By JACK LeGWIN
One player has been turning some high-major heads in New England. His name is Christian David.
A new addition to a Vermont Academy team that will compete for the NEPSAC title, David says that adjusting to the new team is going smoothly in his eyes.
“It’s been going pretty well,” David told SNY.tv. “We are currently working out everyday, just trying to get after it. It’s tough playing against Bruce (Brown), but it’s fun too, because I’m just trying to get better every day.”
The 6-foot-7 class of 2017 wing guard says that the reasoning behind his decision to transfer from a school close to home in Toronto to Saxtons River was based off of opportunity to play some of the best teams in the nation in Brewster (N.H.) Academy, New Hampton, Northfield Mt. Hermon, as well as many others in the NEPSAC.
“The competition level is really high,” David said. “Getting more exposure was a big reason behind it. Right now, I’m just focusing on school and basketball.”
David’s head coach at Vermont Academy, Alex Popp, says that David’s diverse game is something that many colleges have been intrigued by.
“He’s a 6-foot-7 guard with skill, length, athleticism, and basketball IQ,” Popp said. “College coaches saw how the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship. They did it with versatility, athleticism and skill. The game is evolving, and Christian is what every program wants and needs.”
An elite shooter, who stretches the floor and can guard multiple positions, David has been a hot commodity in the eyes of high-major Division I coaches.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment was how physical the game is.
“I’ve been working on my body a lot,” David said. “Just trying to get stronger, because of the physicality of the game.”
David currently holds offers from DePaul, Old Dominion, Providence, Creighton, George Washington, Baylor, Oregon, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Illinois and Texas Tech. He also has drawn interest from Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida and Cal. Florida head coach Mike White saw him Wednesday.
“I’m open to all schools right now,” David said. “Location will maybe play a bit of a factor, but I’m not really sure .”
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