Bruiser Comes Back to Mass
Before becoming the head coach at Drexel University, Bruiser Flint was a man who was synonymous with Massachusetts basketball. Prior to returning to his native Philadelphia, Flint spent the better part of his coaching career at the University of Massachusetts where he worked as an assistant coach for John Calipari for seven seasons before serving as the team’s head coach for five more years.
The former Minuteman Skipper returned to his old stomping ground this week as he earned a commitment from 6’8” power forward Dartaye Ruffin from Stoughton High School.
Ruffin’s commitment is especially impressive for the Dragons for a number of reasons. First, it shows that Flint and his staff literally have the ability to land players from all pockets of the northeast as their roster will include players from Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and now New England. Second, Ruffin is a well rounded player who should be able to step right in and play immediate minutes next season in the CAA. Third, the demand for big men is especially high in this year’s recruiting market, and by getting this one done early Drexel lands someone who could have potentially ended up at a higher level had he waited until the spring.
As for Ruffin, his decision brings some closure to what has been a very busy recruiting process. Four years ago he was one of the region’s most well known young prospects as he shined with St. Andrew’s in Rhode Island. He transferred to the Winchendon School for his sophomore season, and again made a move prior to his junior year, returning to his hometown Stoughton High School where he has been for the last two years.
But it was with his New England Playaz AAU squad that Ruffin has played some of his best basketball and got the vast majority of his exposure to college coaches. What coaches have always loved about Ruffin is the fact that he plays both ends of the floor and doesn’t need a ton of shots to be effective during the course of the game. Ruffin is a player who will guard the opposition’s best interior scorer, dominant the glass, and knock down elbow jumpers on the offensive end. That may not sound like a very glamorous role, but it is one of tremendous importance, and also the reason why he will be ready to play right away next season.
But this summer Ruffin showed a new element to his game, as he began to show an expanded offensive repertoire. He was finishing plays in the paint and starting to be a more assertive scorer on the low post.
So while Ruffin may be a player who is already ready to effective on the college level, he is also a player who is continuing to improve. Consequently, it would be no surprise at all if four years from now we look back on this commitment as one of major significance for the Drexel program.
Dartaye Ruffin