Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Ron Bailey

CATCHING UP (ONCE AGAIN) WITH TOM DRONEY

2010 guard takes visits, impresses at Charlie Weber event in Maryland this past weekend

For the last month we have been on a commitment watch for the recruitment of Sewickley (PA) Academy junior guard Tom Droney as he indicated a September decision was likely. After making visits earlier this month to Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and, this past weekend, to Wake Forest and Davidson, maybe the decision is a little more difficult for the 6-foot-6 guard to make.

“I just got done with two very good visits, Droney told the NBE Basketball Report. “On Friday I visited both Wake Forest and Davidson.”

It was a busy weekend for Droney as he squeezed a couple campus visits in Friday prior to moving to the University of Maryland campus to play in the Charlie Weber Maryland Invitational with his Basketball Stars of America AAU squad. The visits did help him clear up his recruiting situation a little more, however.

“Wake Forest was great because the facilities were very nice and I liked the coaching staff and players a lot,” says Droney.

“Later in the day, I went over to Davidson and had a very nice visit,” Tom explained. “The whole basketball team pretty much was there to meet me when I got out of my car. This really showed how much they want me and the coaches there were great. They are all really down to earth guys and I love the campus as well,” Droney said.

Previously it was the home town Panthers that seemed to hold a big edge in the recruiting race for Droney with Wake Forest as the other favorite, but things might be changing a bit as he gets deeper into the process.

“I have actually decided to eliminate them (Wake Forest) from my list due mostly to the fact that they already have two guards in the 2010 class,” indicated Droney.

“I have put Davidson in my final three which consists of Pitt, Davidson, and Notre Dame,” Droney said. The Irish have recently solidified their standing among the leaders by recently extending a scholarship offer, which Big East member West Virginia has also done, joining Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Virginia, Davidson, Penn State, St. Joseph’s (PA) and Duquesne.

“I still could probably say my favorite is Pitt because you have to love the hometown team and I feel really comfortable there,” Droney admitted. “My parents want me to make one last visit to each of the three schools before I make my decision. Basically, I just want to make sure I am making the right decision.”

After the visits it was off to the Comcast Center on the Maryland campus for the Maryland Invitational Tournament run by Charlie Weber Basketball. The weekend had a very strong showing by Pittsburgh-area teams as the Pittsburgh Storm captured the 17-U championship by beating the Tigers (of Pittsburgh) in the finals. Droney and his Basketball Stars of America squad advanced to the 16-U semifinals before losing to eventual 16-U champions the Baltimore Nike Elite (formerly Team Melo).

“It went pretty well,” Droney said of the tournament. “We made it to the semifinals and lost to a very good team from Baltimore.”

Our very own Ron Bailey, publisher of i95ballerz.com was in the house to check out the action and got some extensive viewing of Droney and his teammates as they were able to advance through pool play.

Bailey writes:

An excellent open floor passer, it is clear Tom Droney has been taught the game well, understanding many nuances some players don’t. Droney seems adept at dribbling with both hands and uses change of pace moves when attacking the basket. That’s important, as Tom doesn’t possess great quickness or speed, something that may actually be hardest on him defensively in the Big East or another major conference. He does have some size and length, resultantly showing promise at becoming at times a passing two man, who can score and also slide over to the point. In doing so, he will create offensive mismatches frequently . To facilitate that (and ensure success generally), Droney needs to get stronger, though that will likely come with age as he is just one month into his junior year of high school

Here’s an interesting anecdote. A long time talent evaluator, that will remain nameless, was court side and said of Droney “He’ll be a pro (NBA) for 10 years”. While that may be slightly hyperbolic at this juncture, other basketball insiders queried do like his skills and level of savvy (as I do). Quickness and strength development, along with the program he attends, will dictate anything else in my opinion.

For more on Charlie Weber’s Maryland Invitational Tournament, be sure to check i95ballerz.com and the NBE Basketball Report over the course of the next day. The NBE Basketball Report will also monitor any developments in Tom Droney’s recruitment.

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