Offers Slow For Bountiful's Aird
When Bountiful High's Ben Aird was a freshman, he received a basketball scholarship offer from the University of Utah. Some local prep basketball observers predicted he would be the best big man the state has produced this century and that he would set off a massive recruiting battle between Utah and Brigham Young University for his services.
As the 6-foot-9 Aird begins his senior season at Bountiful, he has one solid scholarship offer, but it's not the one from the Utes.
It's from Tulane.
"I don't know what has happened," Aird said on Thursday. "I feel like I've improved a lot since I was a freshman, but the interest just isn't as heavy as it was before. I've talked to some Utah coaches, but I'm not sure the offer [former coach Ray Giacoletti] made is still good.
It's not.
A source close to the Utah coaching staff confirmed that Aird is no longer on Utah's wish list.
"He just hasn't gotten any better, man," the source said.
With the early signing period coming up in November, Aird is perplexed as to why other rising seniors are getting offers right and left by the likes of BYU and Utah, yet he just sits and waits.
"I am talking to all of them, all the instate schools, but no one has offered yet," he said. "I'm pretty sure Utah Valley University wants me, and I have talked to [Southern Utah] a lot, but neither have made a flat-out offer."
If nothing else, the decreased interest has made Aird eager for the 2007-08 season to begin so he can show he's still a Division-I caliber recruit. He said he still gets two or three calls a day from recruiters, but the offers just aren't coming like he thought they would two or three years ago.
"Tulane just saw me play [at a summer tournament with his club team, Utah Pump-and-Run] and they called and offered," he said. "They are recruiting me very hard. They want me to commit now and sign in November."
Aird said other out-of-state interest is coming from Northern Arizona and the Air Force Academy.
"If the right offer comes along, I will sign in November," he said. "But I'm also fine with waiting [until April when his senior year is over].
Aird said if the offer materialized, he would probably sign with BYU.
"Part of me really wants to go there, to tell you the truth," he said.
The young man turns 18 on Sept. 10, so he said he will probably go on an LDS Church mission before ever enrolling at a college. He had to explain all that to Tulane's coaches, "who had never heard of such a thing," but they are fine with it.
As the 6-foot-9 Aird begins his senior season at Bountiful, he has one solid scholarship offer, but it's not the one from the Utes.
It's from Tulane.
"I don't know what has happened," Aird said on Thursday. "I feel like I've improved a lot since I was a freshman, but the interest just isn't as heavy as it was before. I've talked to some Utah coaches, but I'm not sure the offer [former coach Ray Giacoletti] made is still good.
It's not.
A source close to the Utah coaching staff confirmed that Aird is no longer on Utah's wish list.
"He just hasn't gotten any better, man," the source said.
With the early signing period coming up in November, Aird is perplexed as to why other rising seniors are getting offers right and left by the likes of BYU and Utah, yet he just sits and waits.
"I am talking to all of them, all the instate schools, but no one has offered yet," he said. "I'm pretty sure Utah Valley University wants me, and I have talked to [Southern Utah] a lot, but neither have made a flat-out offer."
If nothing else, the decreased interest has made Aird eager for the 2007-08 season to begin so he can show he's still a Division-I caliber recruit. He said he still gets two or three calls a day from recruiters, but the offers just aren't coming like he thought they would two or three years ago.
"Tulane just saw me play [at a summer tournament with his club team, Utah Pump-and-Run] and they called and offered," he said. "They are recruiting me very hard. They want me to commit now and sign in November."
Aird said other out-of-state interest is coming from Northern Arizona and the Air Force Academy.
"If the right offer comes along, I will sign in November," he said. "But I'm also fine with waiting [until April when his senior year is over].
Aird said if the offer materialized, he would probably sign with BYU.
"Part of me really wants to go there, to tell you the truth," he said.
The young man turns 18 on Sept. 10, so he said he will probably go on an LDS Church mission before ever enrolling at a college. He had to explain all that to Tulane's coaches, "who had never heard of such a thing," but they are fine with it.
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