Classy boys' basketball class
A 10th Utah high school senior boys' basketball player has signed with a Division I program, making the class of 2008 rank as one of the better classes in state history.
The class doesn't have that superstar recruit like Shawn Bradley, Alex Jensen or Britton Johnsen, but has more depth than any in a long time.
The latest to sign is Bountiful's 6-foot-10 center Ben Aird, who told The Recruiting Trail this morning that he has signed with Utah Valley State College. Aird said the chance to play for UVSC coach Dick Hunsaker clinched the deal.
He also had offers from Tulane, Southern Utah, Dixie State College and Lafayette in basketball. A tight end on Bountiful's football team, Aird drew a little interest in that sport, but no solid offers.
"I feel like I can make an impact right away at Utah Valley," he said. "I had a lot of options and offers, but it just felt right to go there. They are on the rise. I feel like I can be part of something big."
We've had several posts about Aird's situation on this blog, but the story is probably worth re-iterating: Aird was a big-time prospect as a freshman and sophomore, and the University of Utah under coach Ray Giacoletti offered him a scholarship.
But some coaches felt like he didn't improve, and the offer was withdrawn. For his part, Aird has always wanted to go to BYU. However, Cougar coaches didn't give him the time of day, perhaps feeling like the big guy didn't fit coach Dave Rose's style.
It will be interesting to see whether Aird -- a rugged, physical player -- can make the Utes and Cougars regret not taking him when they had the chance.
He had 17 points and nine rebounds in Bountiful's 70-54 season-opening win over Syracuse on Tuesday night.
------------------------
If there is going to be an 11th signing, it might come from Woods Cross center Patrick Day, a 6-foot-10 late bloomer. Washington State was in to watch him at practice a week ago, and Arizona State has also expressed some interest lately. Day scored 17 ponts and made three three-pointers in a 47-41 win over Hillcrest last night.
In case you've missed the other nine local signings, here they are:
Brighton's Jace Tavita -- Utah
Logan's Charles Abouo -- BYU
Sky View's Jordan Stone -- Utah State
Clearfield's Nick Thompson -- Weber State
Woods Cross' Holton Hunsaker -- Louisiana Tech
Lone Peak's Josh Sharp -- Utah
Lone Peak's Justin Hamilton -- Iowa State
Lone Peak's Bracken Funk -- Fresno State
Judge Memorial's Noel Hollingsworth -- Brown
The class doesn't have that superstar recruit like Shawn Bradley, Alex Jensen or Britton Johnsen, but has more depth than any in a long time.
The latest to sign is Bountiful's 6-foot-10 center Ben Aird, who told The Recruiting Trail this morning that he has signed with Utah Valley State College. Aird said the chance to play for UVSC coach Dick Hunsaker clinched the deal.
He also had offers from Tulane, Southern Utah, Dixie State College and Lafayette in basketball. A tight end on Bountiful's football team, Aird drew a little interest in that sport, but no solid offers.
"I feel like I can make an impact right away at Utah Valley," he said. "I had a lot of options and offers, but it just felt right to go there. They are on the rise. I feel like I can be part of something big."
We've had several posts about Aird's situation on this blog, but the story is probably worth re-iterating: Aird was a big-time prospect as a freshman and sophomore, and the University of Utah under coach Ray Giacoletti offered him a scholarship.
But some coaches felt like he didn't improve, and the offer was withdrawn. For his part, Aird has always wanted to go to BYU. However, Cougar coaches didn't give him the time of day, perhaps feeling like the big guy didn't fit coach Dave Rose's style.
It will be interesting to see whether Aird -- a rugged, physical player -- can make the Utes and Cougars regret not taking him when they had the chance.
He had 17 points and nine rebounds in Bountiful's 70-54 season-opening win over Syracuse on Tuesday night.
------------------------
If there is going to be an 11th signing, it might come from Woods Cross center Patrick Day, a 6-foot-10 late bloomer. Washington State was in to watch him at practice a week ago, and Arizona State has also expressed some interest lately. Day scored 17 ponts and made three three-pointers in a 47-41 win over Hillcrest last night.
In case you've missed the other nine local signings, here they are:
Brighton's Jace Tavita -- Utah
Logan's Charles Abouo -- BYU
Sky View's Jordan Stone -- Utah State
Clearfield's Nick Thompson -- Weber State
Woods Cross' Holton Hunsaker -- Louisiana Tech
Lone Peak's Josh Sharp -- Utah
Lone Peak's Justin Hamilton -- Iowa State
Lone Peak's Bracken Funk -- Fresno State
Judge Memorial's Noel Hollingsworth -- Brown
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home