247Sports.com
Over the summer, Ron Patterson did not envision himself playing prep school basketball and taking college visits this fall. Patterson was supposed to be on his way to Bloomington, Indiana and playing for Tom Crean’s Hoosiers. Due to academics, however, that plan unraveled.
The 2012 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Broad Ripple (IN) was forced to take a postgrad year due to his high school grades. He selected a prep school that would eventually be key to joining the Orange. The Indiana native chose national prep powerhouse Brewster Academy out of New Hampshire, a school that Syracuse has frequently dealt with. Current junior C.J. Fair attended Brewster, and one of SU’s top junior targets, Chris McCullough, is also therel.
After taking a few visits, including Providence and Xavier, Patterson got the opportunity to play in front of the Syracuse coaches. Jim Boeheim’s staff came to see McCullough, a Bronx native, in action. They were looking for a shooting guard and came away impressed. While Patterson lacks the ball handling skills that the Orange may have been looking for, he makes up for it with his shooting ability, strength and perfect fit in the 2-3 zone. Syracuse quickly offered, surprising some recruiting experts.
Over the weekend, Patterson took his official visit to SU. He verbally committed on the spot his first day on the Hill.¬†Patterson’s Brewster coach, Jason Smith, tells The Fizz it’s a natural fit.
“Ron is an athletic guard who has shot the ball very well from the perimeter this fall. He’s an excellent defender and has tremendous length, which will be very effective and beneficial in Syracuse’s zone.”
After swinging and missing on Wayne Selden and James Young, and likely doing the same on Rysheed Jordan, Patterson is a strong pickup. He was ranked as the No. 131 player in the Rivals 150 when he was a part of the ’12 class.
Now, he will embark on a new life outside of the midwest. He joins the tri-state trio of commits in Tyler Ennis, B.J. Johnson and Chinonso Obokoh in the Orange’s class of 2013.
Officially, one scholarship is left on the table, and an NBA departure this spring would open another. This means Syracuse will continue its attempt to get Noah Vonleh, Tyler Roberson and Jermaine Lawrence. It’s another big day for Boeheim and the Orange.
Posted: Alex Kline
