Commitment Catch-Up

New England Recruiting Report | Friday, June 15th, 2012

Drive 4 Stardum Announces Commitments

Drive 4 Stardum program director and head coach Donta Johnson has announced commitments stemming from his program this year.  

The East Catholic duo of Tyler Veretto and Austin Calling will be continuing their careers at Clark University and Catholic University respectively.  Veretto earned 1st team All-State honors this season and is expected to make an immediate contribution at Clark.  Calling is a late bloomer with a high upside who ran with D4S in the fall and definitely has his best years still in front of him.  

Western New England has picked up two other D4S alums in Capital Prep’s DeWayne Wynn and Cheshire Academy’s Zach Askew.  Wynn was instrumental in Capital return to the CIAC state finals this season while Askew is a long and athletic big man who should make immediate contributions for WNEC.  

Cromwell’s Colin Burkhart, who was also named 1st team All-State in the CIAC, was recruited to play at Marymount University in Virginia.  

The program has three alums planning to play college football.  Xavier’s Jovan Santos-Knox, who received a variety of post-season accolades in basketball, accepted a full football scholarship from UMass while Xavier teammate Patrick D’Amato accepted a similar offer at Stony Brook.  Cromwell’s Brett Director, an All-Conference performer in the Shoreline League, will play college football at Assumption.  
 

CCRI Completes Class

The Community College of Rhode Island has put together another large class filled with a lot of familiar faces.  

From the local Rhode Island area alone CCRI has reportedly landed North Providence guards Rob Hazard and Mike Ferrante, Cranston East big man Pat Marchand, and Shea alums Rudy Britto and Malcolm Moniz.  

Also on board for next season are Elijah Okagbare from the Master’s School, Chris Light from Pinkerton Academy, 6’8” Senegal native Aloune N’Diaye, and 6’7” Cameroon native Charles Noah.  Former East Catholic and Weaver High School star Jerome Harris will also be transferring in.  

This group of freshmen will join returning sophomore Bryan Yarce, Desmond Williams, Isaac Medeiros, Steve Bevilacqua, and Branden Barboza under head coach Rick Harris.  

Wesleyan Finalizes 2012 Class

Wesleyan University added their latest dynamic playmaking guard in Hamden Hall’s B.J. Davis.  The five-foot-eleven guard was named second team All-New England in class C this year and joins Rasheed Epps, a powerful and ultra athletic six-foot-four forward from the Hun School, and Vermont Academy guard Jack Mackey in the Cardinal’s incoming recruiting class.  

Wesleyan is coming off a 2011-2012 season in which they went 20-6, marking the most wins in the program’s 110 year history.  The Cardinals are also returning the majority of their line-up for the 2012-2013 season.  

Wilbraham & Monson Seniors Set

Robinson Vilmont, Mike Mendes and Mark Overdevest have all finalized their college plans.  Vilmont will head to Brandeis University next year while Mendes will head to Boston College and join the Eagles’ team as a recruited walk-on.  Overdevest will take his size and considerable upside to WPI, where he should have every opportunity to have a productive college career.  

Wilbraham’s 2012 graduating class is as impressive academically as they were athletically as the previous trio joins Maodo Lo (Columbia), Mike Boornazian (Bates) and Alex Ramon (Colgate) in completing their basketball careers at outstanding academic institutions.  

Vermont Star Heading North

Mount Mansfield Union star Tom Lacy will play his college basketball north of the border at McGill University.  McGill is one of the most prestigious academic schools in all of Canada who also holds a proud basketball tradition.  

Lacy rounded out his high school career in style, leading Mount Mansfield to a Vermont state championship by finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game.  

Keene State Completes Class

Keene State has assembled a solid group of perimeter players to surround incoming big man Nate Howard.  

Winchendon post-grad and Stamford alum Tre Tipton is the most notable newcomer in the backcourt, bringing his toughness, versatility and innate playmaking ability.  Lee Academy’s D.J. Johnson provides a second potential point guard in the class.  

Thornton Academy’s Justin Pollard and St. Mary’s (MA) Nick Gagliolo round out the incoming backcourt while Holy Catholic (MA) 6’3” swingman Nate Powers provides another versatile prospect for the rotation.

St. Andrew's Seniors Set

St. Andrew's head coach Michael Hart has announced two more commitments coming out of his program this year.  Tyler Sabino has signed with Indiana Univeristy of Pennsylvania while Tom Garrick is headed to Johnson and Whales University.  

Sabino is joining an IUP team that has made four straight division II NCAA tournament appearances and three straight finishes in the division II Top 25.  

Sabino and Garrick join Cedric Kuakumensah (Brown) and Kalusha Ndoumbe Ngollo (Franklin Pierce) in St. Andrew's graduating class of 2012.

Wentworth Adds Two More

Wentworth Institute of Technology has reportedly added two more commitments to their 2012 class.  Brockton High School's six-foot-five forward Jahleel Moise and Ashland High School's six-foot-one guard Tim Juitt will join Cam Sennick, who committed earlier in the year.  

Moise is a four year varsity player who led Brockton to a 23-3 record while averaging 10.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game.  Juitt averaged 18 points per game for the Clockers.  

Tabor Point Heading to Merrimack

Merrimack announced earlier this week that Tabor Academy point guard Chris Mendes has accepted a spot on their team for next season.  Mendes was named honorable mention All NEPSAC in Class A after averaging 11 points, 7.4 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 78% from the free-throw line.

Mendes joins a Merrimack class that also includes local products Anthony Barry and Ryan Woumn, who is transferring from East Tennessee State.