NEW YORK –– Rice center Kadeem Jack is down to five schools and plans to announce April 28.
Jack is considering Arizona, Arkansas, Miami, UConn and St. John’s.
“Every school is equal to me unless a school just straight out wows me,” Jack said after putting up 21 points and 8 rebounds for the City Team in a 137-133 loss to the Suburban Team in the Jordan Brand Regional Game Saturday at MSG.
Having taken his first official to Arizona earlier this year, the 6-foot-9 Jack visited Miami last weekend.
“It was great. It was a great experience going out there with Durand [Scott] and all the coaches. Coach [Jorge] Fernandez, Coach [Frank] Haith. I visited the campus, I met the president,” Jack said.
Scott and Jack played together at Rice and that could be a factor in Miami’s favor.
“He played a big part of my development because he gave me a lot of confidence during the games last year,” Jack said. “My junior year he started giving me the ball more even though I was fumbling and all that. And at the end of the season I came in to my own and Durand really helped my development. That’s something if I go to Miami, it will keep on.”
Jack also hopes to visit Arkansas and UConn between now and April 28, but his mentor, Damian Leslie, said the dates have not been set.
“The distance doesn’t matter to me,” Jack said. “Just going to a place where the coach will develop me, turn me into a pro player one day. The distance doesn’t matter.
Jack has a Rice connection at UConn also because Huskies point guard Kemba Walker played there.
“UConn, I like how Kemba plays, so I want to go over there with him,” Jack said.
New St. John’s coach Steve Lavin has also reached out to Jack about keeping him home, but Jack has yet to visit the Queens school since Lavin took over.
“Just speaking about him trying to come in and change the program, needing some key players to come in and change the program and he thinks I could be one of those players,” Jack said. “St. John’s is close to home, [I would] get to be close to my mother.”
St. John’s is also looking at bringing in Rice head coach Moe Hicks as the Director of Basketball Operations. If Hicks takes the job, a new NCAA rule would prohibit Jack from going to St. John’s.
“If he goes there, I can’t go there anyway,” Jack said. “I’m actually making my decision on April 28, so whether he decides or not, I’m going.”
(Photo courtesy Daily News)
RELATED CONTENT:
**Michael Gilchrist to Kentucky
**Josh Selby still mulling college options
**Doron Lamb Says He’s Decided
**Terrences to announce together
**Calipari a factor for recruits
**Cory Joseph talks recruiting
**Biruta waiting on Rutgers; Roberts likes St. Joe’s
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Cat in the Desert / April 17, 2010
After losing out on Selby, Lamb, and McCallum i think Jack is gonna be Zona’s consolation prize.
/
HallBall / April 18, 2010
After Losing out on all of thee above, Jack to Arizona I’ll beleive It IF It happens…
/
520Wildcat / April 18, 2010
IF? What like Arizona is so FAR behind? Please enlighten me! I know we still have work to do, but I think Arizona is in great position at this point. He (Jack) has taken two trips, one to Arizona and one to Miami, Arizona which was a good trip and Miami was just “average” according to him. He still has a trip to St. John’s (still see them as our biggest threat), but not totally sure if he would be allowed to go to St. John’s based on recent rules disallowing kids to commit to schools where their HS coach is now attending (ala James Harden rule). If that weren’t to happen, Arizona is also in good position to maybe land Eloy Vargas, at this point it is our choice as to which recruit we want more!
/
HallBall / April 18, 2010
Yeah Yeah, heard the same shit with Lamb and McCallum now ones wearing Kentucky blue and the other chose a team from the Horizon leauge over your program. Let me know when Jack decides until then I dont need anymore recruiting insiders bro..
/
HuskiesNYC / April 18, 2010
Jack seems a good fit for AZ. I heard that he wants to go to UConn but I doubt that the staff is even recruiting him hard….sounds like a project to me
/
520Wildcat / April 19, 2010
Here’s the difference, Jack legitimately wants to come here, Selby and Lamb didn’t. Besides, don’t fool yourself into thinking I was one of the Wildcat fans droning on about landing Selby, McCallum or Lamb. Sure I was being optimistic saying I was hoping, but I knew those players were going to be tough gets. I however said, Jack is a much more probable commit. At this point, Arizona is doing well with Eloy Vargas as well, and I would like to think (wishful at that) Arizona has a viable shot at either player, more so than the Big 3
/
PaulSmenis / April 19, 2010
Still waiting for any of these kids to have Seton Hall on their lists…
/
Zonafan3 / April 20, 2010
Not every F**king Az fan believed we would get a committment from the big 3. See Jordin Mayes. Get over yourself.
And to me it does seem like you need a little recruiters info because Kadeem is basically ours to lose.
/