The Fizz picked the brain of one recruiting expert, Alex Schwartz, last week about the Orange radar, and today we track down yet another.
Adam Finkelstein of the New England Basketball Recruiting Report gave me the lowdown on class of 2011 guard Derrick Wilson, an SU prospect.
As of right now, the only lock for SU’s 2011 class is¬†Michael Carter-Williams (who dropped by the FizzCast), after committing verbally in November. Finkelstein says MCW injured himself in the first game of the season, but should be back for a tournament at defending national champ Findlay Prep this week.
Finkelstein says¬†Wilson, a 6’1″ 185 lb. guard is,¬†“A power guard. He looks like a running back. He’s very powerful physically. From a scout’s take he’s got both mass and definition. Where he’s cut up but he still has the upper body size to overpower any other guard.”
“Over the course of his career, he’s also become a lot more skilled. Last year we saw him start to shoot the three point shot with a lot more consistency. Now he’s learned how to create space and score in that mid range area, he’s got a step back jumper. He’s really a complete player now. He’s definitely a scorer.”
Scorer? Check. Sounds like guys Jim Boeheim has recruited in the past.
On top of that, Finkelstein says he is one of the top football players in the area as well, but that basketball is where his future lies.
“I don’t think there’s any question about that. From what I understand he’d really prefer to play basketball even year round. Basketball is obviously his biggest passion and undoubtedly what he will pursue at the next level.”
So he’s got that going for him – which is nice. And going to the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT (near the New York border) seems to have its perks for Wilson too.
“Hotchkiss is also one of the premier academic schools in the country, really. They’ve been able to really coexist in two very different worlds the last few years. Where in one breath you’re talking about them with some of the biggest basketball powerhouse programs in the country, and on the other hand they’re also educating future senators.”
Now that we know that, it’s not surprising how many schools Wilson’s got chasing him.
He’s got offers from Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Boston College and a few others. The brains start to show when schools like Duke, Stanford and yes, even Georgetown get involved.
On top of what he can do on the court, his exposure is off the charts. He’s playing at a prep school which allows him to travel during the school year, and plays AAU ball with the New York Gauchos – one of, if not the best AAU program in New York State.
So when we say keep an eye out for Derrick Wilson, we mean it. He could be your Senator someday.
