Connecticut Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Jeff Borzello, Marquette Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting
PITT, OHIO STATE OFFER TREVOR COONEY, DUKE INTERESTED; MAURICE WALKER, TYLER OLANDER & CHRIS MARTIN UPDATES
August 15, 2009 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
Friday recruiting updates on some top Big East targets of interest
BY JEFF BORZELLO
When lined up next to Mike Gilchrist, Dion Waiters and Rakeem Christmas for Team Final, Trevor Cooney might be overlooked. However, he is certainly getting attention from colleges across the country.
“Pitt has offered and Duke has invited me to their elite camp,” Cooney said in a text message earlier Friday. “The new ones are Ohio State and Pitt and I plan to visit Duke, [Villa]nova and Syracuse this month.”
At the NIKE Peach Jam in mid-July, Cooney said that his list also included Syracuse, Villanova, Notre Dame, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia, Rutgers, West Virginia and Delaware.
“Yes, all have offered,” he confirmed.
Cooney has previously said that he has seen all of the interested schools other than Ohio State, but would like to check out the Buckeyes’ campus in order to get a feel for a Big Ten school. However, this was prior to the invitation to the Duke Elite Camp.
The 2011 prospect has no timetable for a decision.
“No, I don’t know yet,” Cooney said. “No time soon.”
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More recruiting updates from the NBE Sports team:
Tyler Olander has had an impressive July playing with the Xpressions Elite. He will attend Worcester Academy this fall and is a member of the 2011 class. The versatile 6-foot-9 power forward has seen Connecticut, Penn State, Marquette, Oklahoma State and Oregon State enter the mix since July.
“Providence, Vanderbilt, Marquette, Penn State [and] UConn,” replied Olander when NBE asked which schools he was hearing from the most.
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Chris Martin is a Big East legacy. As the son of former Georgetown Hoya Billy Martin, the younger Martin is very familiar with Big East basketball and the 2011 guard out of St. John’s College High School in Washington (DC) certainly is interested in several schools from the conference, including his father’s alma mater.
“George Mason recently offered,” Martin stated to NBE earlier today. “I hear the most from Georgetown and George Mason.”
College coaches interested in his talents have been on the increase since an impressive month of July, much of it with the powerful DC Assault 16-U AAU team. Martin informed NBE that UMass, Clemson, Richmond, Georgetown, Tennessee and Seton Hall have begun recruiting him aggressively.
While the offer from George Mason has made a favorable impression and has Martin looking to visit the Patriot program in the near future, other schools have also piqued his interest.
“I’m happy with George Mason,” said Martin. “I [also] like Tennessee, Pitt, Georgetown and Villanova.”
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With true centers in short demand in the class of 2010, it is no surprise that when a quality big man emerged in July, many top programs took notice. That is exactly what happened when Canadian Maurice Walker began turning heads with his big body (6′10, 275 lbs), soft touch and excellent hands.
“Since July began I’ve heard alot from Marquette,” Walker told NBE on Friday. “The other schools that have been recruiting me are Pitt, Texas A&M, UConn, Georgetown, Kentucky and Duke.”
Walker also told NBE that he has offers from Marquette, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Georgetown.
Walker heads to Brewster Academy this season to play for coach Jason Smith at the picturesque Wolfeboro (NH) prep school. Expect plenty of college coaches to come by and watch Walker work out and try to get him on their campus for a visit. As a member of the 2010 class, the visits will be the next stage of the recruiting process.
“I was planning to take a couple officials and unofficial visits to see all of these schools,” said Walker. “My dad is currently trying to plan a couple now.”
Stay tuned to NBE for more on Walker’s recruitment, as well as future developments with Trevor Cooney, Chris Martin and Tyler Olander as they go through the process as well.
