Desmond Hubert, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from New Egypt (N.J.) High, has committed to North Carolina over Maryland.
“I just felt comfortable there,” Hubert said by phone after visiting this past weekend. “I took basketball out of the equation because I just wanted to see where I would fit in as a student and where I would be most comfortable.”
He plans to sign his Letter of Intent Thursday night or Friday.
The No. 15 center in the Class of 2011 according to Rivals.com, Hubert figures to slot in behind John Henson and Tyler Zeller in the frontcourt and learn from them.
“My freshman year I’ll be behind Henson and Zeller,” he said. “I’ll play an important role on the team with my defensive abilities. They’ll be looking for me to help out there and they want a lot of depth on the frontcourt.”
“I think he’s an athletic four man,” Playaz Basketball Club coach Jamal Slappy said. “He runs the floor very well. He rebounds and blocks shots. Obviously, he can get a little stronger and get a couple more offensive moves. But what he’ll bring to North Carolina is he’s very athletic and he has a tremendous upside.”
Hubert is the fourth commit for head coach Roy Williams for 2011, joining power forward James McAdoo and shooting guard P.J. Hairston — both McDonald’s All-Americans — and point guard Stillman White.
The Heels also have a commitment from 2012 point guard Marcus Paige of Iowa.
**The Star-Ledger did this big piece on Hubert back in December. Worth the read.
FREE THROWS
Memphis officially announced the signing of 6-10 JUCO forward Stan Simpson, WVU signed 6-8 wing Dominique Rutledge and St. John’s signed 6-2 point guard Phil Greene, a Chicago native at IMG Academies….Iona signed Taaj Ridley, a 6-7 wing from Lawson State in Alabama, and Digs Moikobu, a 6-7 forward from Cochise College in Arizona. Both averaged 15 points and nine boards.
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**White to North Carolina
**Paige to North Carolina
