Two More D1 Verbals

Jibri Blount

Two more Ohio seniors came off of the recruiting board over the weekend, as the state’s 2015 class added another duo of Division I commits to the ever growing list. With one of the two choosing an in-state school, and the other headed to the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Ohio’s class continues to see players choose a variety of different schools and coaches. Here’s more on the two commitments, and other recruiting news…..

• Jibri Blount – ’15 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s SF: After just one season at Akron SVSM, after transferring in from Morgantown, West Virginia, Blount was able to put his name on the map enough to earn a Division I offer, and make a commitment. The athletic senior forward chose Cleveland State on Sunday, committing to the Horizon League school just days after receiving the scholarship offer. Look for Blount to try and establish a hard-nosed reputation at Cleveland State, where his size and athleticism could make him a tough rebounder, defender and transition scorer. Relying on Blount, Akron commit Josh Williams, junior Henry Baddley and sophomore Jayvon Graves, Akron SVSM should be a fun team to watch in Blount’s senior year, as the Irish look to get back to the Final Four yet again.

• Brandon Johnson – ’15 Cleveland Garfield Heights PF: An athletic 6’7 post who has flown somewhat under the radar after playing behind class of 2014 center, and Ohio State signee, Dave Bell, Johnson is a solid Division I prospect who also made a commitment this weekend. Johnson chose Alabama State out of the SWAC, a league that should cater to his up-tempo style of running the floor for dunks and trying to chase down shots to block. After a strong summer with All-Ohio White, Johnson was receiving regional D2 interest mostly, before finding the right fit for himself at the Division I level with Alabama State. Look for Johnson to have a very productive senior season at Garfield Heights, on another talented Bulldogs team led by juniors Frankie Hughes and Willie Jackson.

• Ohio University hosted a pair of official visitors from their home-state this weekend, when the Bobcats played host to ’15 Columbus Pickerington Central wing guard Rodney Culver and ’15 Cincinnati Shroder point guard Jalen Avery. This was the first official visit (to TDP’s knowledge) for Culver, who is also receiving interest from other MAC programs like Bowling Green, as well as other Division I’s like Alcorn State. The visit was the second trip to Athens for Avery, who visited unofficially this summer, and his second official visit of the fall after previously visiting Kent State.

• Seth Towns – ’16 Columbus Northland SF: Two more high majors got more heavily involved in the recruitment of Columbus Northland star forward Seth Towns this past week, when the school hosted coaches from Iowa and Stanford to watch their versatile junior. The Hawkeyes and Cardinal are the latest of a long list of elite programs to visit Towns this fall, with Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery personally making the trip. In-state power Ohio State has also been by Northland recently, checking out one of the top local players, and a prospect who can be compared somewhat to current Buckeyes sophomore forward Marc Loving, another former in-state high school star.

• Jason Carter – ’16 Johnstown SF/PF: After having a terrific AAU season with Nova Village, the ascension of Johnstown star forward Jason Carter has continued this fall, with several schools stopping by to evaluate him at open gym. This past week, Carter played host to Akron, Miami (OH), Ohio University, Furman and Wright State, proving that if you can play college coaches will travel to small towns to come check you out. Carter is taking his recruitment on the road this weekend, as the 6’7 combo forward will head to Akron to unofficially visit with the Zips and their coach Keith Dambrot.

• Another senior from a solid class of 2015 group out of Kentucky made his decision this week as well, as Knott County Central (KY) forward Evan Hall chose to stay close to home when he verbally committed to IUPUI. Hall had an excellent July with The Ville on the AAU scene, and chose IUPUI over a dozen other Division I offers. A versatile forward with great competitiveness and a deceptive skill-set, Hall should be considered a solid signing for the Jaguars out of the Horizon League.