Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley scored a major coup Thursday when he landed one of the top junior college guards in the nation in Xavier Munford of Iowa Western.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Munford played for Hurley at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark and has two years of eligibility remaining.
“I chose URI because of the great connection with Coach Hurley and the rest of the staff,” Munford, who averaged a team-best 16.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, told SNY.tv. “The Atlantic 10 is a great conference, but I also had offers from Oregon, Creighton, Washington St. and Central Michigan.”
A native of Hillside, N.J., who spent last season at Miami-Dade College, Munford was ranked as one of the top junior college players in the nation by Mike Mitchell of the Midwest Scouting Service.
“Every year I do a preseason Top 30 list and I had him as the No. 4 guy in the country,” Mitchell told SNY.tv. “That’s all positions.
“He’s for sure one of the top junior college guards in this year’s sophomore class. I’d think he’s a potential all-league player in the A-10.”
He added: “I don’t know who else they’ve got, but I’m guessing he’ll for sure be one of the top two players on that team.”
Munford played for Hurley on a St. Benedict’s team that went 26-1 and finished No. 3 in the USA Today poll.
He will be reunited with another former St. Ben’s player, 6-8 forward Gillie Biruta, a Rutgers transfer.
Hurley has also landed Rice transfer Jarelle Reischel of Point Pleasant Beach High, as well as incoming forwards Mike Aaman and Jordan Hare.
If they land one more player, it figures to be a point guard since Munford is a pure scorer.
“I will be a scorer and just do whatever coach asks of me and whatever it takes to win,” he said.
FREE THROWS
Donovan Jack, a 6-9 forward previously signed with Duquesne, verbally committed to Penn State over Clemson and Duquesne. “Donovan chose Penn State because it is a good fit academically and basketball-wise,” his father, Curt, told SNY.tv. “He also has a good relationship with Coach [Pat] Chambers and his staff.”….Sheldon Jeter, a 6-6 forward, will announce Thursday for either Penn State, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt or South Carolina…Antoine Myers, a 6-1 point guard, and former FIU commit, has pledged to Troy,
