Notre Dame Duo off the Board
Johnny Higgins and Kimmie English, two players who figure to be in the starting line-up when Notre Dame Prep opens their season at the National Prep Showcase, have both verbally committed within the last week. Higgins is headed to Duquesne of the Atlantic 10 and English is on his way to the Big 12’s Missouri. Both players appear to be important additions for their respective programs.
At Duquesne Higgins will be reunited with former Notre Dame Prep Head Coach Bill Barton, who now serves as an assistant coach at the school. Higgins has thrived under Barton in the past as he was the starting point guard on last year’s team that won the first ever National Prep Championship. Higgins was outstanding in the final game as he scored 28 points to lead his team to the title. Barton’s presence at Duquesne was certainly an important consideration during Higgins’ recruiting process.
“After the success we had together last year I knew Coach Barton still had a lot to offer me,” Higgins told the New England Recruiting Report. “He would never steer me wrong so I figured why not do it.”
Higgins is a physically powerful guard who should make an immediate impact for the Dukes. Not only is he bigger and stronger then most other guards but he has a very impressive skill set as well. When we visited Notre Dame Prep last month Higgins was knocking down shots from behind the three-point line, pulling up off the dribble, and breaking his defender down to get all the way to the rim.
Kimmie English is a player who picked Missouri over a host of other high major programs who had all extended scholarship offers including the likes of Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Seton Hall.
“The family atmosphere Coach Anderson has created was the biggest factor,” said the 6’5” two-guard “Plus the facilities are the best in the country.”
English’s commitment is not only significant for Missouri because they were able to beat out a variety of other high major programs, but also because he is an ideal fit for their style of play. Nicknamed “40 minutes of hell” to describe the amount of defensive pressure they put on their opponents, Missouri has quickly become one of the most fast paced teams in the entire country.
“Putting pressure on the other team on every play is exactly the way we played in Baltimore,” said English, a Maryland native.
With his length and athleticism, English will be an ideal fit for that system. Not only is he likely to force the opposition into a good number of turnovers on the defensive end, but he will also provide Tiger fans with some additional excitement thanks to his ability to finish the break with some explosive and acrobatic dunks
Higgins and English become the first two players from Notre Dame Prep to commit since arriving on campus. But stayed tuned because with 20 talented players on the roster, there are bound to be more commitments coming soon from Fitchburg.
Kimmie English
Johnny Higgins