PHILLY — Brian Oliver has found a new home.
The Glassboro, N.J., native and former Georgia Tech guard verbally committed to Seton Hall Wednesday after visiting campus Tuesday, and is expected to contribute at the shooting guard position beginning in 2012.
He will have to sit a year per NCAA transfer regulations and will then have two years of eligibility remaining.
“New Jersey is in my blood and I’m excited to be able to have the opportunity to put Jersey and Seton Hall back on the map,” he said by text.
“And I’m going to bring a work ethic and a passion that’s going to be contagious. I’m determined to get to the NCAAs and help this program in every way possible.”
“He felt like he wanted to be closer to home,” Playaz Basketball Club coach Jimmy Salmon added by phone. “Coach [Kevin] Willard and Shaheen Holloway did a great job of making him feel like he could be a very big part of the future of the program.”
The 6-foot-6 Oliver averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and dropped a season-high 32 in a loss to Syracuse and 28 in a win over Virginia Tech.
He missed the final eight games of the regular season with a broken thumb, and then opted to transfer after the coaching change that brought in former Dayton coach Brian Gregory.
Seton Hall also has Vineland, N.J. native Gene Teague, a 6-9 transfer from Southern Illinois, who will also become eligible in 2012.
FREE THROWS
Wagner landed a verbal pledge from athletic 6-8 French wing Hugo Naurais who plays for the French U18 team. Naurais is the first commit for Wagner assistant Scott Smith and Wagner`s 4th 2011 commit…Notre Dame Prep guard Myles Davis is down to four schools – Pittsburgh, Xavier, Georgetown & West Virginia – and will make a college decision in August, per Alex Kline…DePaul offered 2015 St. Benedict’s Prep guard Isaiah Briscoe, who also holds offers from Rutgers and Seton Hall.
