Basabe Narrowing List
Few players did more to help their recruiting stock this summer than Melsahn Basabe.
St. Mark’s rising senior forward exploded in the first three days of the live period as he played to rave reviews at the Hoop Group Elite Camp. It was just more of the same a day later as he played tremendously well at the New England Elite 75 Showcase, earning a spot in the top 20 all-star game for the second straight event.
Basabe spent the rest of the summer running with his New York Gauchos AAU team. First, it was off to South Carolina for the Nike Peach Jam Tournament where Basabe continued to produce at a high level. Later in the month he had a few more big games at both the AAU Super Showcase and AAU Nationals.
Following his tremendous month, Basabe earned a plethora of scholarship offers, ranging all the way from the America East to the Big East. Nevertheless, playing at the highest level isn’t Basabe’s top priority, going somewhere where he can play a lot of minutes is.
“Playing time and playing style are the big factors in my decision,” Basabe told the New England Recruiting Report. “I want to play for somebody who gets up and down and lets the players play their game.”
“VCU, Siena, and Drexel are my favorites…they’ve all offered,” he said. “As of right now those are the three that I’ve brought it down to but I’m still minimally open.”
Cutting his list to three meant Basabe had to break bad news to over 10 division I programs, all of whom were recruiting him hard.
“They were all good programs, I just didn’t feel like any were the right situation for me,” he said.
When it comes to the remaining three schools that are on his list, there’s something different he likes about each of them, although Basabe did make a point of mentioning how he felt really comfortable with all three coaching staffs.
“Siena was excited about me before the summer even began,” he said. “Drexel has a close relationship with the Gauchos and VCU is just a really impressive program.”
Regardless of exactly where Basabe ends up, it’s refreshing to find a player looking for the right fit over simply the highest level. The six-foot-seven forward figures to be able to make an immediate impact at any of the three schools remaining on his list.
But before he heads off to the college level, Basabe will return to Massachusetts for his third season at the St. Mark’s School, and he figures to take on a more prominent role now that Erik Murphy has graduated and moved on to the University of Florida.
“Erik is a great person and a great player and was very important for our school and our team, but I still feel like we’re the team to beat,” he said. “I’m definitely excited about having an expanded role and getting an opportunity to demonstrate more of my skills and a well rounded game.”
Melsahn Basabe
Erik Murphy