Maine Gets a Good One
Bob Walsh has picked up his second commitment in as many weeks since being named the new head coach at the University of Maine as Lee Academy guard Aaron Calixte chose the Black Bears on Tuesday night.
The commitment is a potentially important one as Calixte was the best available 2014 product left on the board in New England and capable of stepping right in to play immediate minutes.
Calixte came up the ranks with the New England Playaz and was seeing a steady dose of mid-major recruitment coming out of last July’s evaluation period, and yet inexplicably went largely under-recruited throughout his senior season.
He began his high school career at Stoughton High School in Massachusetts before transferring to Lee and repeating his junior year. Early on, he was best known for his ability to create off the dribble and get to the rim, but he’s consistently added to his game in each of the last two seasons and begun a versatile two-way talent.
He still owns high level driving tools on the offensive end with a quick first step and change of direction along with a good understanding of how to utilize his body. Those tools are only all the more dangerous since he’s also become a consistent shooting threat from behind the three-point line and very consistent with his pull-up game.
Physically, Calixte has a strong, college ready body while he’s also the type of on-the-ball defender that Walsh is expected to covet given his teams’ defensive prowess in previous seasons at Rhode Island College.
Calixte will contend for minutes both on and off the ball next season and is an excellent pick-up this late in the recruiting cycle. Here are some of his highlights from last spring’s grassroots circuit:
Aaron Calixte