By MATT JESSEN-HOWARD
It’s been a roller coaster of a ride for Brooklyn Lincoln guard Jahlil Tripp.
After being deemed a prospect to watch as an underclassman, everything seemed lost when a stray bullet hit him in the leg last year and caused him to miss the AAU season. The 6-foot-4 senior has recovered from a lot of injuries and is finally back on the court.
“Since I’ve been back on the court, I’ve received interest from Seton Hall, Rutgers, Providence, Fordham, I just picked up an offer from Fairfeld,” he told SNY.tv. “I have Drexel and Minnesota calling my coaches too. I have held offers from Manhattan and Quinnipiac for awhile.”
His latest offer came from Fairfield.
“They’re telling me that they like my style of play and that I could fit into their system. They need a big guard, which I am.”
Despite his height, his skill set resembles that of a point guard.
“My biggest strength is that I’m a playmaker. I need to work on my outside shot, though,” he said. “Point guard is the position that most programs are recruiting me at.”
Tripp’s recruitment is far from over. He’s not sure when he’ll take his visits, but would like to do so before making a commitment.
“I don’t have any visits scheduled, but I’d really like to get out and see some schools. I’m probably going to visit Fairfield after the season’s over. I’ll be working with my parents and coaches to get all the visits set up.”
With the flood of interest from local schools, is location a big factor in his recruitment?
“I don’t really want to stay close to home, actually. I want to get away.”
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Below, Tripp talks about the schools showing interest that haven’t offered:Drexel: “They said I fit their style of play because I’m active and have a high motor. They like how I persevered and came back stronger from the injury.”
Fordham: “I spoke to them even before I was injured. They said they’ll offer depending on how the rest of my season pans out.”
Minnesota: “My coach has talked to (Minnesota assistant) Kimani (Young), and he said they’ll be calling me soon.”
Providence: “They liked me before I got hurt. They’re telling me they want me to come down and visit their school though still.”
Rutgers: “I played at Rutgers team camp and Eddie Jordan got the chance to see me play. He told me that he liked my style of play, that I fit in, and that I work hard.”
Seton Hall: “I speak to them a lot. I’ve been getting mail from them, letting me know they like how I play. They like my size for the point guard position and that I could play the combo guard, so I could fit in nicely in the system they play.” Follow Matt on Twitter
