Commitment Catch-Up

New England Recruiting Report | Sunday, April 16th, 2017

The class of 2017 is gradually winding down and that means players have started coming off the board at a rapid rate. Here's a look at some that have come across the wire in the last week.

• MacDuffie swingman Jake Kakar accepted a full athletic scholarship to division II Barton College in North Carolina. He picked up his offer in late March while on their campus for his official visit and signed a National Letter of Intent this past Thursday. Kakar is a shot-maker with a high release and a definite weapon from behind the three-point line. He began his career at Brockton High School before spending last season at Lexington Christian and running with Expressions Elite in the Nike EYBL.
• Trinity College got an absolute steal in Cushing Academy forward Francis Uzorh. The 6-foot-5 forward arrived at Cushing last year from Indiana has played in consecutive Class AA finals in his two years with the Penguins. Most recently, he was a key contributor for the team that won the NEPSAC championship and earned a subsequent birth in the National Prep Championship field. A chiseled forward with a high motor and improved skill set, Uzorh is an undeniable scholarship level talent who will make an immediate impact in the NESCAC.
• St. Andrew's point guard Kahleb Downing is headed to WPI to continue his basketball career as the Engineers have continued to scoop up top local talent from the New England region. A Connecticut native who finished with over 1000 career points at the high school level, Downing saw his role grow significantly in his final season with the Saints and was a key part of their latest 20-win season. A good perimeter shooter and talented passer who evolved into more of a true point guard this season, Downing should have a strong career for WPI.
• Wilbraham and Monson Academy big man Brycen Harris is headed to Southern Virginia University next season. Harris missed the vast majority of his senior year with injury after debuting for the Titans in 15-16. He began his career in his hometown of Coventry, Connecticut where he starred for his public school. When healthy, the southpaw is a major match-up problem on the block with his wide frame, soft hands, and good touch. Southern Virginia is an NCAA division III university in the Capital Athletic Conference.
• Hotchkiss senior guard Pierre Coffy committed to St. Lawrence College. Coffy put up huge numbers over the course of the last two seasons for Hotchkiss and earned numerous accolades in the process. He was the team captain this season, a 1000 point scorer, third team All-NEPSAC, first team All-Tri State League, and also won the Hotchkiss basketball prize as the team's MVP. St. Lawrence University is a small liberal arts school in upstate New York.
• Putnam Science Academy post-graduate Liam Jacobs will continue his basketball career at LaSall College in Newton, Massachusetts. A graduate of Plainfield High School in Connecticut, Jacobs averaged almost 16 points and 9 rebounds per game as a senior while second team All-State honors in Class M and All-Norwich Bulletin. The 6-foot-5 forward took his game to new levels this weekend and is now heading to the GNEC.
• Commonwealth Academy has announced a pair of commitments from their regional team with Brian Callahan moving on to Eastern Connecticut and Kyle Rivera to Westfield State. Callahan is a 6-foot-5 stretch-four who graduated Pope Francis in 2016 before doing a post-graduate year at Commonwealth in order to play his way into the Little East Conference. Rivera is also 6-foot-5 but a more traditional big man who will remain in Western Massachusetts.