Rivard Earns D1 Scholarship

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, November 19th, 2012

Worcester Academy senior forward Thomas Rivard made a verbal commitment to James Madison on Sunday night and is now expected to sign his National Letter of Intent before the end of the early signing period.  

“I had narrowed it down to about eight or nine schools with my family,” Rivard said, “and I ultimately decided that James Madison was the best balance between academics, athletics, and a social life.”

A high level student at Worcester Academy, Rivard began the summer being pursued by a variety of NESCAC level schools, but consistently worked his way into higher recruitment after a strong summer with the Rhode Island Hawks and a very impressive fall of open gym workouts at WA.    

James Madison became the first division I school to offer him a scholarship in late September.  

“[Assistant] Coach [Mike] Deane had come up to watch one of the other guys on our team,” Rivard explained.  “He ended up liking me so he sent [head] coach [Matt] Brady up a few weeks later and he offered me the day he saw me play.”

Rivard visited JMU’s campus only a couple of weeks later.  With more and more division I schools recently starting to come into the picture, and Rivard anxious to make a decision before his senior season, he called it for James Madison on Sunday night.  

The six-foot-seven forward is unique in the prep school ranks because he’s a true senior, who didn’t reclassify or repeat a grade upon arriving at Worcester, and young for his grade at that.  

His game has improved by leaps and bounds in recent months and his best basketball is very clearly still in front of him.  

Rivard becomes the fourth Worcester Academy senior to commit to a division I school joining Rene Castro (Butler), Matt Mobley (Central Connecticut), and Matt Panaggio (Lipscomb).