Clifford Says Yes to B.C.
It was just ten days ago that Boston College had Dennis Clifford on their campus for an unofficial visit and offered him a scholarship.
The offer was just the latest in what has been a rapidly escalating level of recruiting for the Milton Academy big man.
But on Friday, Clifford decided to put that recruitment to an end as he made an early commitment to Boston College and newly appointed head coach Steve Donahue according to Bay State Magic head coach and program director Kalon Jenkins.
The commitment punctuates what has been a breakout year for Clifford as it really wasn't until last spring that he emerged as a strong division I prospect and quickly worked his way up the list during the last twelve months.
A seven foot center who repeated his junior year at Milton Academy after transferring from Bridgewater-Raynham High School, Clifford has a unique set of tools that should allow him to be succesful playing in Donahue's system in the ACC.
A skilled inside-out player, Clifford has good dexterity and footwork inside the paint and has developed himself into a consistent low post scorer. But he is equally skilled on the perimeter, able to step out to 18 feet and shoot the ball and also a good passer both when facing the basket or when playing at the high post.
Clifford made significant strides at Milton Academy this year, playing under former division I coach Lamar Reddicks, as he gotten noticeably bigger and stronger while also becoming more assertive, which has only helped him to continue to stand out during the first month of this spring's AAU season with the Bay State Magic.
Clifford becomes the first player to commit to Donahue since taking over the Boston College job and while he still has some work to do over the next year, he certainly projects to be a good fit for the Eagles in 2011.
Dennis Clifford