Rutgers could be reuniting with an old friend as early as next week.
Marvell Waithe, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound combo forward now playing for Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, will decide on his college destination after visiting Rutgers this weekend.
Waithe will visit campus for the Pittsburgh-Rutgers football game Friday night (8 p.m., ESPN) and then spend the rest of his official visit on campus.
“After the Rutgers visit I’ll decide where I’ll be going,” Waithe, 21, said Tuesday by phone.
Waithe, who has been courted by Rutgers for several years since he emerged as a star in Canada, is also considering Arkansas, which he visited this past weekend.
Waithe watched as the Razorbacks hammered Auburn 44-23 in football.
“It was really nice,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time down there in Fayetteville. The football game was nuts, it was crazy.”
LSU, Alabama, South Florida and Pitt also expressed interest, Waithe said, but he is down to Arkansas and Rutgers because he wants to step in and play right away.
“They want me to come and be an impact player,” he said, referring to both schools. “That’s what my plan is coming from junior college. I’m not really focusing on high major. I’m just trying to play.”
Waithe will have two years of eligibility wherever he ends up.
After graduating from Toronto Laurier Collegiate Institute in 2006, Waithe initially committed to Loyola Chicago.
But he never made it to Loyola because of NCAA Clearinghouse issues. The NCAA adopted rules that impacted Canadian players and made it harder for them to qualify to play in the U.S. Waithe spent the next two years training and waiting, training and waiting.
“It was really frustrating,” he said. “My grades were good enough to get into any Canadian University. It was probably the most frustrating time of my life. I was stuck in between going to school and not going to school. It felt like it wasn’t real, kind of.”
Waithe landed at Tallahassee Community in the fall of 2008 and has since emerged as a star.
He averaged 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season and was named first-team Coaches’ All-Panhandle Conference. Waithe was recently named a fourth-team Super Sophomore in the Sporting News’ JUCO Report.
“He’s just a great perimeter shooter,” Tallahassee coach Eddie Barnes said. “Being at 6-9 he can just flat-out score the ball. As a freshman he led us in scoring at 19 points per game in the Panhandle, probably the toughest JUCO league in the country.
“He’s got size. He’s got athleticsm. He’s got that perimeter shot. This year he’s really working on trying to develop some more range to his game by being able to put the ball on the floor and doing some things defensively.”
“I’m doing well,” added Waithe. “I’m just trying to stay focused on getting the year over and win a championship.”
Rutgers assistant Darren Savino has remained in touch with Waithe on and off through it all and head coach Fred Hill visited him last week.
Arkansas coach John Pelphrey has also been in to visit Waithe.
“Rutgers has always recruited me and Coach Savino has always kept in touch over the years,” Waithe said. “They always shared a place in my heart but at the end of the day I’ve got to do what’s best for me.”
RUTGERS TO HOST CLINIC
As part of the festivities this weekend, Rutgers will host its annual New Jersey Greats of the Game Coaches Clinic on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the RAC.
Those on the docket include former NBA and Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo, former Providence coach and current SNY analsyt Tim Welsh, former FDU coach Tom Green and Rutgers coach Fred Hill.
(Photo courtesy Tallahassee College Athletics)
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