Adam Zagoria, Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting

ST. BENEDICTS’ BIG MAN TO VISIT RUTGERS

by Adam Zagoria (story originally appeared on ZAGSBLOG this morning)

Rutgers is in dire need of frontcourt help, and the Scarlet Knights will get a crack at impressing one of the top big men in New Jersey when 6-9 junior Greg Echenique of St. Benedict’s visits campus Thursday.

“His family is in town and they’re going there for a visit, and it’s important,” St. Benedict’s coach Danny Hurley said Monday night after watching his father’s team, St. Anthony, win the Tournament of Champions with a 69-36 victory over Newark Science. “It’s an important day for Rutgers to make a big impact.”

Echenique has already been to Rutgers by himself on several occasions. Now his parents are visiting from Venezuela and the family has already taken a trip to Penn.

“They liked it, it’s a great school,” Hurley said of the Ivy League program.

There are still nearly 10 schools involved for the services of the Venezuelan big man who averaged 11.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for the 24-1 Gray Bees, the No. 2 team in the Prepnation.com poll. The list includes Rutgers, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame of the Big East; Duke, Maryland and Miami of the ACC; and Penn.

Still, Hurley said the family did not plan to visit any more schools before they return home later this month.

“Not as of right now,” he said.

Hurley has previously spoken very highly of Echenique.

“Anyone can use a guy like (Echenique) who’s a great student and who plays defense and rebounds and is competitive and is a great kid,” he said.

“Greg’s really open,” Hurley added. “He hasn’t really told many schools, ‘No.’ He’s told a couple schools that they’re not at the top of his list. He’s kept it really open.”

As of now, Rutgers has a three-man recruiting class for 2008 that includes St. Anthony guard Mike Rosario, who had 21 points in the T of C final; Brooklyn Boys & Girls guard Pat Jackson, who managed just seven points on 2-of-5 shooting in the PSAL championship game loss to Lincoln; and 6-8 forward Christian Morris of South Kent (Conn.) The Knights also have commitments from 6-7 junior forward Dane Miller from Rush Henrietta High School near Rochester, N.Y., and Maiscei Grier, a freshman guard at Arbor View High School in Las Vegas.

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