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POLK CC RECRUITING UPDATE

Veteran coach Matt Furjanic has Big East schools taking a look at his players

Polk Community College head coach Matt Furjanic knows something about talented athletes. Afterall, Furjanic had been a Division 1-A head coach at Robert Morris University (1979-1984) and Marist College (1984-1986), leading both institutions to the NCAA Tournament with a Division 1-A coaching record of 109-95 and three trips to the Big Dance. Furjanic coached Rik Smits at Marist and, while coaching Woodland Hills High school (1991-1995), Furjanic coached Jason Taylor before the Dophin DE had any thoughts of Dancing with the Stars.

Now, entering his ninth season at Polk CC, Furjanic has impressive talent returning to a club that won the Suncoast Conference last season and finished with a 24-6 record. “We have three starters returning, we feel we can be a very good basketball team,” Furjanic told the NBE Basketball Report. A couple players that Big East fans might want to familiarize themselves with are Lance Jeter and Quincy Hankins as schools from the conference are showing interest in their services.

Lance Jeter is a name that may already be familiar to some Big East fans. After a decorated prep career in the Pittsburgh-area, Jeter accepted a full football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. However, a coaching change at UC and his love for basketball intensifying with a year away from it, ‘Sweet Jete’ opted for a change of direction, which is not as easy as it seems.

“I felt it was time to switch up sports anyway,’ Jeter explained. “The process was just getting into basketball shape and getting back down to basketball weight and I’m still trying to do that, but once I get a chance to just focus on basketball it’s going to come quick to me.”

If he was not in basketball shape last season, well, that is bad news for the other teams in the Suncoast Conference as Jeter was instantly one of the best players in the league and averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists as an all-league performer as a freshman.

“A true point guard, Lance is a very intelligent basketball player,” Coach Furjanic stated. “He is a true leader and one that wants the ball the last five minutes of the game. (Jeter is) a very unselfish player that gets as much satisfaction in setting up his teammates as he does scoring. A very hard competitor that hates to lose.”

Furjanic indicated that Big East schools such as South Florida and Seton Hall are the schools he is mainly hearing from.

“South Florida is coming this month (and) Seton Hall is coming soon,” Jeter said of schools coming to meet with him in this contact period. St. John’s, Providence, Maryland, Washington State, DePaul, UNLV and West Virginia are other schools he mentioned he was hearing from.

“Visits that I (will) be taking are Seton Hall, South Florida, West Virginia, that’s all the ones I know of right now,” Jeter said. A trip to SHU will be a chance for him to catch up with close friend Herb Pope, who just recently transferred from New Mexico State to the Pirate program. “Herb, I talk to him often because we (are) so close,” he said of his friendship with Pope.

“Quincy Hankins is probably getting more interest than Lance now because he is 6-8, 230,” Furjanic said about the Long Island (NY) native. Hankins, who played at Roosevelt High School prior to Polk, averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds in his freshman season. “Quincy (is) a legit four man for the major level,” Furjanic says. “(He) runs the court well, has a nice jumper and is a relentless rebounder.”

Coach Furjanic indicated DePaul, South Florida, Hofstra and UAB are some of the schools interested.

A newcomer that could generate some impressive Division 1-A looks from varying levels is 5’11 point guard Deontay Twyman. Originally from the state of Maryland, Twyman landed at Ball State after being pretty highly recruited out of high school. “(Deontay) had a great high school career at Sherwood High School in Maryland and I feel, by the end of the year, he will get mid-major offers,” Furjanic says.

“Tyron Johnson, a 6-4 slasher and outstanding competitor that is perfect for the lower D-I’s in the northeast,” Furjanic stated. The Millville (NJ) native is a strong slasher that will finish and compete hard.

We will follow the progress of the Polk CC team this season and keep an eye on them for any new developments on the recruiting trail as the season unfolds.

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