Commitment Catch-Up
New Hampshire Star to Salve Regina
Alex LaRosa, a senior guard at Salem High School in New Hampshire, is headed to Salve Regina University in Rhode Island to continue his basketball career as was first reported by the Mass & NH High School Basketball Report.
LaRosa was one of the top players in the NHIAA this year averaging over 20 points per game this year while topping the 30 point plateau on five different occasions. He was also the primary spark plug behind Salem’s resurgence this year where they won 10 of their last 12 games after dropping 5 of their first 6.
Known primarily for his ability to shoot the basketball from long range, LaRosa should be a valuable addition for Salve as they look to rebound from a disappointing year in the Commonwealth Coast conference.
Colby-Sawyer Lands Burke
Hoosac Valley senior forward Robbie Burke has committed to attending Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire next season. Burke led Hoosac Valley in both scoring and rebounding this year, leading them to an 18-4 record and a spot in the Western Massachusetts division II finals.
It was in the post-season when Burke was at his best scoring 29 in a quarterfinal win over Wahconah, 27 over Mahar in the semifinals, and 33 in a losing effort to eventual state champions Sabis in the Western Mass finals.
Burke’s game has improved by leaps and bounds within the last season as he has become a very consistent interior scorer and rebounder while also expanding his offensive arsenal on the perimeter.
Middletown Native & Salisbury Post-Grad to Play Football in ACC
Will Tye has known for quite some time that his future would be on the gridiron and recently it became official when he committed to play his college football at Florida State University. Despite his tremendous ability and long term potential playing football, Tye has nonetheless had a tremendous high school basketball career, first at Xavier High School and most recently at the Salisbury School.
A ferocious presence inside the paint Tye was one of the top scorers and rebounders in the CIAC and SCC last year at Xavier. This year Tye earned all Western New England honors while leading Salisbury to a spot in the Western New England Conference tournament.
Another Salisbury two sport star, Bjoern Werner, is also heading to Florida State next year as a defensive lineman.
Rhode Island Point Guard Staying Close to Home
Rhode Island College has nabbed their latest in state talent in Classical High School point guard Michael Palumbo. Rhode Island College just finished their fourth straight 20 win season under head coach Bob Walsh.
Palumbo is coming off an incredibly successful senior season at Classical, averaging over 28 points per game while leading his team to a 12-12 record.
Despite being undersized at 5’8”, Palumbo has all the tools to be a good fit in the RIC system. The lefty is a scrappy point guard who finds ways to score the ball and can really shoot it from behind the arc.
MCI Swingman Headed JUCO
Maine Central Institute’s Ziad Ashmawy will play at State Fair Community College just outside of St. Louis, Missouri next year. Ashmawy, an Egyptian native, has made great strides over the course of his season at MCI and saw his minutes consistently increase as a result.
The six-foot-five swingman is relatively new to the sport and definitely has his best basketball still in front of him. He is a good athlete with nice size for the wing and capable of getting to the rim with his bounce or making shots when his feet are set. He is also a hard-nosed kid who plays with great toughness, rebounds the ball, and scores in transition.